The Ocean of Time - Shimmering Stars
by Crying a song
Summary: Shimmering Stars is first part of a compilation of stories named The Ocean of Time. The main characters are Commander Angel Sun Shepard, Kaidan Alenko and Thane Krios. The time stamp of the Shimmering Star is set to 2146 - 2183 (prior events in ME1) and explores some cruicial elements of characters childhood and growing up.
1. Introduction and Prologue: Chronology

_**Author's words:**_

_First of all let me welcome you warmly to this fan-fiction. You, my dearest reader, are probably eager to skip my ramblings and dive into the story that follows you, alas, there are few things I need to say before I let you to it. I ask for your patience in this matter as in some others._

_First of all, you should probably be aware that English is not my first language and thus you will most probably encounter spelling and grammar mistakes as well as maybe awkward expressions. I run each chapter through spell and grammar check so that should eliminate some of them, but with great sadness many still remain, I am sure. If any of you, kind readers, would be willing to help me with this fiction, please be my guest. Help would be cherished._

_Secondly, I feel the need to say __few words about the story that follows__:_

_First of all, the story before you is only a first part in the compilation that I named The Ocean of Time. My plan is to write 4 more following stories and probably one that will round everything up._

_That said, I wish you happy reading. Keep in mind that the reviews are food for any writer and makes us write even more, update more often etc. and as such are greatly desired._

_**Disclaimer:**_

_Base story, character names, other names, locations etc. are rightful property of Bio Ware and Co. as stated on the Mass Effect 1, Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 packages._

_Other stuff is from my crazy mind._

_**How to read and some info of importance:**_

_If you are not interested in the Chronology which describes important events and find it dry or you don't want to know some things before-hand, then you are free to skip it and continue to next page, which is real start of the story._

_**The Chronology**__ which serves as a prologue has a time stamp of __**2069 -2193**_

_**Shimmering Stars**__, first story in a compilation named __**The Ocean of Time**__ has a time stamp of __**2146 – 2183.**_

_**Shimmering Stars**__ is divided with chapters, as usually, but is furthermore divided also in three other segments as follows:_

_Part 1: __**The Compact**__ (T. Krios & Irikah)_

_Part 2: __**The Brain Camp**__ (K. Alenko & Rahna)_

_Part 3: __**The Villa**__ (S. Shepard & James)_

* * *

**Prologue: Chronology**

**2069**

Armstrong Outpost at Shackleton Crater becomes the first human settlement in Luna. It is formally founded on July 24, the 100th anniversary of the first lunar landing.

**2103**

Lowell City in Eos Chasma becomes the first human settlement on Mars.

**2137**

Eldfell-Ashland Energy Corporation demonstrates helium-3 fuel extraction from the atmosphere of Saturn.

**2142**

Construction of Gagarin Station (Jump Zero) begins beyond the orbit of Pluto.

**2146**

T. Krios is born.

**2148**

Prospectors discover the Prothean ruins at Promethei Planum on Mars.

**2149**

Translation of Prothean data leads humans to the Charon mass relay. Systems Alliance founded to coördinate exploration and colonization of extra-solar worlds.

**2151**

A shipping accident at Singapore International Space-port exposes downwind communities to containers of dust-form element zero. Alliance begins construction of Arcturus Station.

**2152**

Roughly 30% of the children born in Singapore after element zero exposure suffer from cancerous growths. System Alliance begins settlement on Earth˛s first extra-solar colony world, the planet Demeter.

T. Krios is given to the Compact

K. Alenko is born.

**2154**

S. Shepard is born.

**2155**

System Alliance occupies completed portions of Arcturus Station as a headquarters.

**2156**

Some children of Singapore exhibit minor telekinetic abilities.

**2157**

Turians meet human explorers;First Contact War. Occupation and liberation of the human colony of Shanxi.

**2158**

Humans learn potential of biotics. An international effort to track element zero exposures begins. Roughly 10% of exposed children show some level of biotic ability.

**2160**

System Alliance Parliament was formed.

**2164**

K. Alenko enslists in schooling program at Jump Zero.

**2165**

Humans establish embassy on Citadel.

**2166**

T. Krios leaves the Compact and marry with Irikah.

**2167**

K. Krios is born.

**2170**

Batarian slavers attack the Alliance colony of Mindoir. S. Shepard escapes.

**2172**

S. Shepard enlists in Alliance.

**2175**

I. Krios is killed. T. Krios starts tracking down her killers.

**2176**

During the Skyllian Blitz, pirates and slavers attack Eleysium, the human capital in the Skyllian Verge. S. Shepard receives a Star of Terra for her actions in defending the civilians.

**2177**

Thresher maws devour the Alliance colony of Akuze. S. Shepard is declared to be The Sole Survivor.

**2178**

In retaliation for the Skyllian Blitz, an Alliance fleet wipes out an army of slavers on the moon of Torfan. S. Shepard is declared The Butcher of Torfan.

**2183**

Geth led by rouge Spectre Saren Arterius attack the Citadel, ensuing in a battle that costs thousands of lives. A few weeks later, the SSV Normandy is ambushed and destroyed. Commander Shepard is declared The Savior of the Citadel.

Commander Shepard dies.

Cerberus, pro-human splinter cell commences project Lazarus.

**2185**

Project Lazarus is success. Commander Shepard is reconstructed.

An alien race known as the Collectors abduct thousands of human colonies in the Terminus System. Commander Shepard leads a team beyond the Omega-4 relay to attack the Collectors where they live, stopping the abductions.

Commander Shepard destroys a relay in batarian space, preventing Reapers attack.

Commander Shepard is placed into "house arrest" by the Alliance.

**2186**

The Reapers enter the Milky Way in full force. Commander Shepard is reinstated.

T. Krios dies.

The alien races unite with humans in building Crucible, a super-weapon of Prothean`s origin and defeat the Reapers.

Commander Shepard is presumed dead.

**2187**

Commander Shepard is found. The countdown of casualties is completed. A commemoration is held to honor the departed. The cities across the galaxy is slowly being rebuilt.

**2193**

Commander Shepard ensures the Reapers would not harm the Milky Way again.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Waters Run Wet**

**The Compact: Part One**

Khaje was beautiful in summer of 2146. The rain was constantly pouring just as any other day, the air however was warmer and the smells carried from sea mixed with those from land in deliciously sweet and salty bouquet. If only the sky-waters would stop, for just a moment at least, and let the golden shine of the sun fully bask at Khaje and show it's sparkling splendour. Here and there the always present clouds got broken by a sun-ray, rainbows shone under grey, white and black clouds, the sea sparkled like a diamond with billion facets. It was glorious.

Mr. Krios only occasionally throw glances towards the window, wondering if perhaps today the gods will grant them one perfect sunny moment. He took a moment to utter a prayer in his mind, then cast the thought aside as he concentrated back to his wife whose hand he held, and she held his tight. His eye-ridges furrowed in concern, soft loving words spilling over his lips, comforting rumbles echoing from his throat, as his eyes noticed pain on his wife's face, recording every second, storing it in perfect memory.

The raining stopped, however Mr. Krios did not notice it. It would be soon now. The waiting would finally be over and Mrs. Krios would stop being in pain.

The clouds fully separated, revealing the sky fired by the setting sun, deep blue sea sparkled vigorously, however Mr. Krios didn't really noticed it for his first son sounded his very first distressed rumble, eyes opened wide for a moment, before he shut them close because of the sun-ray that caressed his tender green scales. The distressed rumble turned in satisfied purr as he was basked in warm sunlight.

Two sets of deep eyes lovingly observed their first-born son.

"He has your scales," the woman smiled to her husband.

"And your lips," he replied with a tender smile.

"How does Thane sound to you," she asked.

"Perfect," he agreed while gently caressing the cheek of his son.

"Thane it is then," the woman breathed and kissed her baby on the forehead.

"The gods blessed our son by granting him a rainless moment filled with sunshine for his birthday," he said reverently.

"You should go and give them the offerings," she smiled tenderly.

He nodded: "I shall return soon. You should rest now."

Mr. Krios kissed his wife and his son, then headed to the temple, to pray and give the offerings to old drell`s gods.

* * *

The winter of 2150 was unpleasant on Khaje. It was colder than ever before and that did nothing to put the drells, children of the desert as it was, in good mood. The wind felt like sharp needles against their scales, forcing them to wear more clothes than they were comfortable with, however they didn't complain.

Mrs. and Mr. Krios watched their first-born son play with his toys, but there was no mirth upon their faces as sadness lingered hidden in the corner of their eyes.

"It breaks my heart even to consider it," she whispered to her husband.

"I know," his eyes flickered from his son to his wife, and then towards floor as he took her hand in his, :" I know," he repeated sadly.

"We could always say no," a whisper of a hope escaped her lips.

He shaked his head subtly: "They saved us from extinction, it an honour to uphold the Compact," he answered, killing all hope even as his voice was pained no less than hers.

"But...," she weekly tried to protest.

"I know," he cut her short, pulled her in tight hug.

A child touched his father's leg, demanding attention. He let go of his wife and picked up his son, raising him high in the air while swirling around. The child's happy squeaks pushed the sadness away as the parents enjoyed the short time they had left with their first-born son.

Khaje was not drells home-world. Their gods created them in arid deserts of Rakhana, under the blazing bright sun. They evolved and multiplied, however the water was scarce and thus great battles were fought over the water sources. One war was more terrible from another as they evolved further, more and more water sources became tainted and before they realized, they were on the brink of extinction.

The hanar explorers from Khaje, planet in another sun-system, stumbled upon the desert planet of Rakhana and made first contact with drells, who by that time weren't yet able to travel beyond their own sun-system, their technology not evolved enough yet.

The hanars felt sympathy towards the drells as they seen their struggle, however their own planets were mostly covered with water and thus wouldn't be able to evacuate a whole drell-race, nor would all the drells be ready to leave their home.

300 000 drells decided to leave Rakhana and move to Khaje, whose land the hanars offered them as a new home, they signed the Compact. Other's stayed and continued to battle, until only sands and tainted waters remained.

* * *

The fogs of fall 2152 on Khaje were thick, unwilling to be dissolved by the sparse sun-rays. The air carried wetness into the drells lungs more than usually and made their breathing harsher.

Mrs. and Mr. Krios held their six years old son Thane by the tiny hands as they slowly walked down the street.

"Why are you crying, mummy," a child asked, his eyes turned up to his mother. She squeezed his little hand tighter, swallowed a sob that threatened to escape her. "It will be all right, mummy," the child reassured her and she let the previously swallowed sob escaped her lips, but then she regained her composure, changed the subject and rather told her son one last story, recorded each thrilled laugh of him to her perfect memory.

The walk was soon over. A child curiously gazed at the hanar before him, mesmerised by the colours that he produced while it was engaged in conversation with his parents.

"This one regrets the need of your son," the hanar told his parents. "This one is honoured and humbled by your sacrifice," he added.

"The honour is ours," the father answered and bowed respectfully, the mother fought her tears back.

He gave last hugs to his parents before turning around to follow the hanar.

"Will they visit me," he asked the hanar.

"This one is saddened to say, but no..." the hanar responded, sad colours spilled over its skin, but Thane was not able to see them.

"Will I see them again," child asked again.

"After you finish your training, if you will wish so," the hanar answered.

Thane went silent for a moment, considered the answers before he nodded, accepting the confirmation of what he already knew with dignity even as sadness squeezed his heart.

"What will I become," Thane asked the hanar, curiousness pushing other feelings aside.

"An assassin," voice of an older drell replied instead.

Thane squeaked and blinked rapidly at the surprise, his heartbeat raced. He had not noticed when the older drell joined them.

* * *

Only a day later Thane underwent an eye operation that would allow him to see the colours flashing over the hanars bodies while they spoke, allowing him to understand them better.

The operation posed no risks and it was done quickly. He had his eyes bandaged for a week in order to allow them to heal properly, more of a nuisance than the pain.

When they finally removed them, he gasped in surprise. The colours of the world changed. What he once perceived as red was now shifting before his eyes from grey to black in waves that hot air over the desert would make. He saw the world anew.

When the hanars spoke he did not see them as pink any-more, but in vivid flashes of the rainbow. It was mesmerizing.


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2: Air with a Twist**

**The Brain Camp: Part One**

Space still held many secrets for humans to uncover. Some would say that it all began on 24h July 1969 when Armstrong stepped on Luna, saying his famous words: "This is a small step for a human, but a giant leap for the human kind." However they would be wrong. The humanity was gazing at the stars long, long before then. The humanity claimed that they were first to leave the grounds of the Earth, however that was not exactly so, since first being to fly into space was Lajka, a dog. Not many would give her credit for it though, even if she died for it. It was humans who sent her up there anyhow, build the shuttle and launched her, if she wanted it or not.

First human settlement on Luna was formally founded on 100th anniversary of the first lunar landing and named after Armstrong. Now, only 82 years later living in space, away from home-world is nothing new any-more, however majority of humanity still preferred to live on their home-world.

It has been only two years ago, that the humans translated prothean data found on Mars and it lead them straight to the discovery of Charon mass relay, a fantastic construct allowing travel from one solar system to another. Majority of humanity accepted the fact that there was other species, highly evolved, living in their solar-system at one time. The religious folk, specially The Christian church objected and so did those few followers they still had.

The humanity in general thought, that there must be other evolved species still living out there somewhere, even if they didn't yet encounter them. All however agreed, that they need some form of protection whilst exploring and settling on new planets and thus the Alliance was formed.

2151 was the year that the construction of Arcturus Station started. The construction site was not the most beautiful place, nor was it the safest one. The sight that was offered to you when you looked out of one of not many windows took your breath away regardless. The stars lit up, went out and lit again, shimmering like diamonds, rubies, emeralds on a black velvet. Many stopped to gaze at them, wondering where else they will be taken, what wonders they will be able to see. It was a good age to be alive.

"I envy you," the engineer Shepard said, shuffling poker cards.

"Oh? Why," asked chief engineer Alenko, his face ice-cold as he received royal flush.

"It has been months since I was last on the Earth," Shepard shook his head.

"Royal flush," Alenko put his cards on the table. "I'm not sure why I'm being called there anyhow. My wife arranged it with the command on her own."

"It figures," Shepard frowned: "Well, I'm done. You already managed to take my month's pay from me."

"You get that for playing with your superior," Alenko laughed.

"Yea, yea, not for long," Shepard grinned.

"I hear Anderson has a mean hand. Be careful Shepard, he might take more from you than I," Alenko laughed.

* * *

Alenko sat at a coffee shop near Singapore International space-port ,his eyes opened wildly in bewilderment for a moment, then laughing and hugging his wife who just informed him that she is pregnant. Just a moment later an alarm went off, a wide notification that it is only a training, asking the communities to respond in a way they were thought to. People shuffled on their feet, but there was no urgency in their movements, it was only a training after all.

A month later many were asked to partake an medical exam. Most found that perfectly normal, few however suggested that this could be in connection with a so called training a month ago. Even fewer knew, that there was no training at all, the alarm was real. There was a shipping accident in the port that exposed the downwind communities to the containers of a dust-form element zero. None knew what the reciprocation will be, but many feared them.

* * *

The news were filled with stories about children born in Singapore in year 2152. Around 30% of suffered from cancerous growths. The government remained silent, the accident at the space-port hushed up.

Mrs. and Mr. Alenko gazed at their newborn son Kaidan with worry as they waited for medical report. He seemed healthy boy, perhaps a little small even for a newborn, sleeping peacefully after a meal.

Mr. Alenko jumped on his feet as a very young doctor came into the room with expression revealing nothing: "Will he be all right?"

"You have a healthy boy there Mrs. and Mr. Alenko," Dr. Chakwas smiled.

"Thank you, thank you so much," Mrs. Alenko muttered between tears of joy.

"No need to thank me. It was a relief to bring a good news," Dr. Chakwas smiled and left the happy young family alone.

Kaidan woke up crying on top of his lungs.

"I think our boy needs a new diaper," Mr. Alenko laughed.

Mrs. Alenko smiled in respond: "Would you do us an honour?"

"If you show me how, dear," he smiled at her and took little Kaidan in his hands.

* * *

The Alenkos were a happy little family for six years. They moved to Canada and bought a lovely orchard there. Mr. Alenko was promoted, Mrs. Alenko thought first grades at one of the Elementary Schools in Vancouver. Little Kaidan was all curiosity and laughs, a well-spring of energy that needed constant attention. However there were moments when the little boy calmed down, usually when his mother took him on long walks by the English bay, or when his father would return home from space and took him to Space Observatory. Those were the moments when Kaidan would speak in whispered amazement, taking in what his eyes would see.

However then all changed, in one single sunny afternoon when they celebrated his sixth birthday.

Kaidan was playing with a daughter of his father's friends. She was two years younger than him, but they seemed to get along good. When she accidentally broke one of Kaidan`s toy-spaceships, the boy went into a peculiar tantrum. There would be nothing strange about it, if Kaidan wouldn't be glowing blue, faint smell of element zero coming in waves from him. The angry tantrum turned into the shrieks of fear as he noticed that something strange is happening to him.

None dared to even touch him to calm him down, not even his parents. Kaidan kept glowing and crying while everybody at his party stared at him in shock and disbelief, mixed with a good amount of fear.

It was the four year old girl that approached him first, none noticing her approach until it was to late to pull her away. She took few careful steps towards Kaidan, put her hand on his shoulder with laughter bubbling from her lips: "You ale all bue!"

Kaidan stopped crying and looked at her for a while, she kept smiling and few moments after that, he was smiling also, the blue shine around him dissipating.

"Awww... no mole bue! Do that again," she pouted at him.

"I don't know how," he replied earnestly.

Many left as soon as they could, leaving the parents of the boy and the girl alone to deal with what-ever has happened. Girl's parents came around and snatched their little girl away from Kaidan, not minding her protests. That helped Kaidan turning blue again. He didn't want her to leave. She was nice. She didn't fear him. They took her away anyhow, carefully excusing them-self to his parents. They didn't visit them any-more.

Mr. and Mrs. Alenko tried hard to ignore that their son was different for two long years. In 2156, when he was four years old, strange things started to happen around him. If he would be angry a vase on the other side of the room would fall from the table. If Kaidan`s mother forgot to give him a spoon, she would turn around and fetch one, return to him only to notice that he already has one, not noticing that he would even get out of his chair. It was mind-boggling, but subtle enough for them to not pay much attention to it. The Alenkos were not superstitious. Everything could be explained with logic.

The life for Alenkos changed. Mr. Alenko was allowed leave from his job. Taking care for Kaidan was stressful. They had to drive him from one exam to another, leave him for months alone at one or another hospital in science department. Kaidan changed also. The smiles were as rare as rainless day on a distant planet of Khaje -_not that they knew that the planet as such even existed_- , he closed himself away. He was often found just sitting and staring at something, thinking. However there were also times when he would be angry and then he glowed, things went flying around him. It was hard for Mr. and Mrs. Alenko but they loved their son regardless, even if they had a little fear reserved for him, they tried to hide it. Kaidan saw it though, and even as it hurt him, in his way he understood. He was a freak. But he loved his parents regardless and knew they love him also.

Mr. Alenko eventually returned to work. Mrs. Alenko stopped teaching classes in Elementary School and instead home-schooled Kaidan. No School was prepared to take him in, he was a liability, an unknown, not worth the risk from their part and besides, other parents wouldn't want him close to their children. There was no other way.

* * *

Year of 2158 was a revelation. Mr. and Mrs. Alenko finally learned what is wrong with their son. Kaidan was a biotic. Perhaps their son would at one point be able to live a normal life. It was a slim chance, but they cling to that hope.

Even if around 10% of children exposed to the element zero were now showing some level of biotic ability, they were still frowned upon. The humanity acknowledged the potential in it, however most people were suspicious, regarded biotics as freaks of nature.

One evening, when Kaidan was 12 years old, black cars with black windows stopped at their drive. Man dressed in black stepped out and knocked on their door. A holo-vid scene coming to life.

They didn't bothered to explain much, just enough to lullaby his parents into false safety. Kaidan would be taken away from them, for his benefit as much as their protection. He would be taken to Gagarin Station, situated a little beyond Pluto, where he would enter a new schooling program for kids like him. He would learn how to control his biotic powers and how to use them for good. Mrs. and Mr. Alenko felt that their son is finally given an opportunity and reluctantly agreed to their proposition, even if deep inside, they knew that they would take him away if they would objected or not.

For next two years they barley seen their son. There were no visits allowed. All contact, might it be through e-mails or vid-coms, was supervised.


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3: Against all Odds**

**The Villa: Part One**

Space, the final frontier maimed the humanity in exploration. Once every human was born on the Earth, now some were born in space instead. It was a new era, time of changes and challenges.

The Arcturus Station, a military complex in Earth's neighbour solar-system, was bristling with the Alliance staff, either on leave or duty. There were no civilians to be found here, it was a home exclusively for those who enlisted into the Alliance.

The Alliance had regulations against fraternizing among the personnel serving on same ships, however they could not forbid some of them finding soul-mates among their class. Such people had to go through official channels and tell them, that they are in a relationship with another. The Alliance thus made sure they would not serve together in order to keep things professional. If the couple would marry, they would allow them a common room on the Arcturus Station for the time of their leave, but nothing more.

Mr. and Mrs. Shepard were such couple. They meet long before they enlisted and got married only a year after they did. Mr. Shepard was engineer, his wife a commander. It was a good relationship, both understanding the duty and taking it seriously.

Those that knew Hannah Shepard would tell that she was always a stubborn woman. Even as she was pregnant and was allowed a maternity leave from duty, she refused it, kept working and shining brilliantly as she did it. The doctors seen no reason to not allow it, as she was healthy and fit, no complications with pregnancy what-so-ever.

The ship was just returning back into the dock and Mrs. Shepard finally decided that this was to be her last mission for a while, when the disaster hit. They stumbled upon a pocket of gas in the space, their sensors malfunctioned, not picking it up. They didn't exactly know why nor how it happened, it could be some residue that got stuck on the ships outer plating while they cruised the space. The gas ignited and offered a spectacularity to be seen. The ship got damaged, crew thrown at what-nots like rag-dolls.

Mrs. Shepard was at that time examining crates in cargo hold. Several cases came crashing at her and she shrieked in pain, desperately trying to protect her not yet born child. She lost consciousness as her head smashed on the ground.

She woke up two weeks later only to find out she is not with a child any-more.

* * *

Mr. Shepard was waiting for his wife to return to Arcturus Station. He was glad that he finally managed to convince her to stop working. They would take a ship headed for the Earth in few days and wait there until their child would be born. He hoped it would be a girl. The doctor offered them the information about baby's gender, but they didn't wanted to know, choosing to be surprised.

"Mr. Shepard," said soldier Taylor.

"Hello Taylor. Congratulation! I heard your wife is pregnant," Mr. Shepard answered.

Taylor seemed to be somewhat embarrassed: "Yes, we will have a boy. I think we will name him Jacob."

"Jacob, eh, that is a good name. I guess I won't be using it then, if I get a boy," Shepard laughed.

"Sir... I regret to tell you there was an accident," Taylor said silently.

"No...," Shepard gasped,: "Please... no..."

"I'm sorry... The ship will dock a day later than it was meant. There were no casualties, just bruises and such," Taylor said gravely.

"Oh," Shepard sighted a breath of relief. "For a second I thought..."

"There is more," Taylor cut in. "Your wife was seriously hurt. She is being taken care for and she will fully recover due time."

"What about the baby? Please tell me the baby is all right," Shepard pleaded fractiously.

"I'm sorry, sir. Dr. Chakwas was forced to do a c-section or they would both be lost. The damage was to big. The baby-girl is for now alive and Dr. Chakwas is doing all she can, however they need equipment and... well... they are few days from here... The chances for her survival are slim. I'm sorry," Taylor spoke gravely.

"I... I need to be alone," Shepard muttered and turned to gaze into the starts outside the window, biting down the tears.

"I'm sorry, sir," Taylor said and turned to leave.

Shepard would not break down, he was a soldier. He kept staring into the space and for first time in his life he offered a prayer. He was not a religious sort, far from it, and his prayer was not for a particular god or goddess. He just hoped that at least one exists and that he would be heard.

* * *

Dr. Chakwas was exhausted and relieved when the ship finally docked at Arcturus Station. She did all she could for the little baby-girl, born way to soon and she knew that the battle for her life would be lost if they wouldn't get access to proper gear. They docked not to soon, the baby's life signs were extremely weak when the station's medical staff took over the care for her.

She has seen too many babies die back when she worked at hospital in Singapore. It was her first job after she graduated and it took a toll on her. She choose to be a medic so she could save people, not to see them die, especially not newborns and from diseases they shouldn't be having in first place, things she had practically no way of healing.

That's why she joined the Alliance. She felt she could do more good here, taking care for soldiers. This is was not what she signed on for and she prayed to all the so-called gods of medicine that she did enough to save the kid's life.

It felt important that the girl lives.

* * *

Mr. Shepard sat by his wife, dark circles under his eyes, when she regained her consciousness. Her hands flew to her belly only to find it all patched. "Our child," she whispered.

"She is alive... for now," the husband whispered to her and took her hand in his.

"I should have listened to you... Can I... see her," she cried.

"It is not your fault, sweetheart. You couldn't have know. I will take you to her," he said softly and kissed her forehead.

It was months before they were able to take her home, but the girl lived due to meticulous attention that Dr. Lawson shown towards her. He was not an Alliance doctor, he just happen to pass the station on his way to Demeter, first human extra-solar colony and thus stumbled upon the opportunity to good to not get involved.

Henry Lawson was not an actual doctor. He was extremely wealthy person with superb connections, who dabbled in genetics and was pronounced to be quite controversial in his views on the subject as much as with his experiments.

Without actually asking for permission and even less with explaining what he will do to the little baby, he started a gene therapy in secret. Every day he would sneak to her and injected her with suspicious fluids that were supposed to enhance her genes and give her better option at survival. He didn't cared what side effects would the girl have, nor if she would actually survive, he just wanted to see how her body would react. It was blind luck that the reaction was positive, at least for now. Her body became more resilient and gave her a good fighting chance.

When Dr. Lawson observed Mrs. and Mr. Shepard finally taking their daughter home, he made up his mind. He wanted a child, one that would be only his and no-ones else. A perfect child. He would use only his own genes, enhance the ones he wanted, remove those he wouldn't.

"Mrs. and Mr. Shepard," he came running after them, stopping them before they would board a ship that would take them to Earth.

"Dr. Lawson," they greeted him. They were thankful that he helped in saving their daughter's life, however neither of them had a good feeling around him from some reason. There was something shifty about him.

"How did you named your girl," he asked curiously.

"Oh, well, we thought of naming her Miranda," Mrs. Shepard answered.

"But then we changed our minds. Miranda would not fit her, not after all that she went through," Mr. Shepard added.

"So we named her Angel, because she is one for us," said Mrs. Shepard smiling.

"And we gave her a Sun for middle name, because she was born whilst space went on fire," Mr. Shepard added.

"Angel Sun Shepard then. Hm, interesting. Thank you," Henry Lawson replied. "If you don't mind I will give my daughter name of Miranda, when I get one," he added. The name wasn't good enough for these two, but in his mind it sounded perfectly for his perfect creation.

"Sure if you wish. We didn't licences the name," Mr. Shepard laughed.

"Yes, well... ha-ha... anyhow, I have a project waiting for me. Have a safe flight," he bid them farewell.

Henry Lawson was in a hurry to leave the station and head for Demeter as soon as possible so that he could start on his project. He decided that it would be good, if he would call upon his old friend, the one who was a chain smoker and his name always eluded him from some reason, so he started to call him The Illusive Man.

* * *

In 2157 humans discovered they are not the only ones in space. A group of scientist discovered another mass relay and of course jumped to the opportunity to explore it's mechanics. A turian ship stumbled upon them. The turian Captain Vakarian tried to explain to these mammals that fidgeting with mass relays is dangerous. The humans could not understand their language and the movements that the turians were making seemed hostile to them, the drawn weapons seemed to support that idea.

Fight ensured, but the turians proved to a strong and capable race. The Alliance soldiers who were protecting scientist died, but at least the scientist managed to escape to Shanxi, one of the humans colonies. The turians followed them.

Shanxi was a civilian settlement and didn't offer much resistance to the turians, enabling them to occupy it easily. The humans were not as weak as the turians initially thought, and soon The Alliance fleet appeared at Shanxi and launched the attack. They overwhelmed the turians and took back control over the settlement.

Captain Vakarian was sure that he would never again be able to see his son Garrus, but by the will of gods he was among the ones who were captured and kept alive, later released without harm.

Palavan, a turian home-world was in uproar, demanding retribution, getting ready to launch a full-blown attack against humans. The asaris and the salarians, two other races of the Council space, however intervened and prevented it, swiftly founding a common language between all four races and managed to convince the humans and the turians to come to the truce, eventually end the pointless war that started because of simple misunderstanding before it would come to full blow.

A brand new era started for the humanity as they stepped on The Citadel, a magnificent space station, so in size as in looks. They were part of a big galactic community now and even if they wanted to run the show by themselves, the other races didn't allowed them. It was time that humanity realized they are not masters of the Universe, they were not even the masters of the Galaxy.

* * *

The Shepards didn't live on the Earth for long, they didn't even had a house there, so they stayed with Mr. Shepard's parents for a time. The Alliance would not allow for kids to live on Arcturus Station, however there was a Haven Station not so far away, where they stored personnel families. It was all highly classified however, it's existence known only to the staff. The personnel didn't object to it, for they found quite reassuring that the Alliance constantly watched over their loved ones, even when they couldn't. There were few religious groups down on Earth who were strictly against space exploration, against the Alliance and such. They tended to become violent, even abducted people in past and having a family on a top-secret and highly secured place put their minds at ease.

"Mum, is father coming," a brown-haired girl asked her mother.

"Not today, honey," the woman answered sadly.

"But its my 12th birthday," the girl complained.

"The mission is taking longer than we thought, but he will make it up to you. He promised," the woman said softly to her daughter.

The girl nodded her understanding.

It was rare for her to have both parents around at same time, but such was a life of the Alliance soldiers and their families... She understood and accepted it for what it was.

* * *

Year of 2167 was hard for Mr. Shepard. The humans established an embassy on the Citadel two years ago and with doing that, the Alliance had much more to do than ever before. He was often away on a mission for this and that, rarely seen his equally busy wife. Hannah was away on a mission when he was finally able to get his long due shore-leave, but at least he was able to spend some time with his , now 13 years old, daughter.

"Dad, I will join the Alliance," she said to her father.

He laughed warmly at her, : "You are to young, sweets."

"Not now," she rolled her eyes. "When I get old enough."

"Sweets, there is much more to the life than being a soldier," her father told her softly.

"I want to have my ship," she objected and then ran off.

Mr. Shepard shook his head, smiling and being worried at same time. He was proud that his daughter would want to follow his and his wife's steeps, but he wished so much more for her... He would not object if at the end she would truly do as she said. All he could do, was teach her. He decided that he will show her how to defend herself and how to handle the weapons. It would be useful knowledge to have, no matter how she choose at the end. The space was a dangerous place.

"I will teach you some of my tricks," he shouted after her just before she left the apartment where they lived. He knew that she is running to meet with son of Mr. Vega, their neighbours, to play soldiers.

* * *

Mrs. Shepard's parents were adventurous people and moved from the Earth to the human settlement on the Mindoir. Angel Sun Shepard spent her holidays of 2170 at their house there. It was a wonderful summer for her, basking in the warm sun, swimming in lake nearby... until the batarian slavers launched the attack.

The Alliance reacted swiftly and managed to save one-third of population before the slavers would take them away, one-third laid dead. Both ships on which the Shepards served were sent in, the ship of Mr. Shepard was however taken down by the batarians, no survivors, except Commander Anderson.

Hannah Shepard hardly dared to enter the house of her parents. The doors laid broken on the grass by the house. She took few careful steps, when a shot rang and grazed the side of her tight. She didn't feel any pain though, to shocked and relieved by what she saw.

Her parents laid unconscious on the floor, their hands in handy-caps, her daughter held a gun in her trembling hands, her lips in frown. Four batarians were dead by her feet, shoot. Teachings that Mr. Shepard gave to his daughter were _oh so_ useful.

Mr. Shepard was however killed. It took some time to find his body and to send it back to the Earth, to Ljubljana, a little city on European continent, where they would say their final goodbyes to him.

Angel Sun wrapped her arms around mother, as the ashes were spread in the wind. A tear silently slid down her cheek. Her father was gone... She kept herself together as much as she could, as she felt her mother's sobs on her arm.

The young Shepard decided that she would surely join the Alliance training program as soon as she would be able to. The batarians have to pay for what they did.

* * *

Two years later, as soon as she was 18, Angel Sun Shepard was proud to call herself an Alliance recruit. It was her first week of hell at the boot-camp.

"Shepard, if you think that your mother's position and your father's sacrifice will ease your way in the army, you are wrong," the drill Sargent Hackett shouted at her. "Are. We. Clear!"

"Sir, yes, sir," she answered, her posture straight and tensed, looking pass his shoulder.

"Give me twenty," Hackett ordered and she dropped down immediately.

She joined the Alliance just as she told her father she would.. It was her first week and already she felt everything is stacked against her, but she was determined to see it through to the end. She would make her parents proud, and she would make the batarians to pay for their crime.


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4: Swift and Silent**

**The Compact: Part Two**

The waters of Khaje are deep and full of life. Great cities build of corals are hidden under the surface. The hanars swim here and there swiftly and elegantly.

It has been more than six months than Thane last walked on the shores of the Khaje. When his parents gave him to the Compact, he thought that he would be taken to some remote facility on the grounds, however he was not. A sea-shuttle took him deep undersea, to a facility nestled among the Coral-whispers City. In doing such, the hanars prevented young drells attempts to run back home. If any of the kids would even try something like that, he wouldn't get far, as the hanars were swift swimmers, and if they wouldn't get him, then the kid would drown before reaching the surface. The only way in and out of the facility, for the drells, was using a space-shuttle, which came only once per year and was heavily guarded. And if parents would decide that they want the kid back, well, there was no way for them to reach them.

The drells served the hanars in different capacities. Not all of them became an assassins. That was reserved only for those few who possessed any kind of biotic abilities. Those other drell kids, that were given to the Compact, were still allowed a contact with their parents and lived on the surface of Khaje, some even stayed with the families and were only schooled by the hanars and later given jobs.

The hanars took genetic materials from the drell kids before they even took them from their families, and screened them. From there, they sorted them into different groups. About 50% of these kids were designated to become the ground soldiers of the Illuminated Primacy. Those were the ones that would have no connection to their families for years to come. From those 50%, only 5% was chosen to become the assassins and they were destined to undergo a special conditioning in order for the hanars to gain their unconditional loyalty. The hanars made sure, that the soldiers stayed in some form emotionally connected to their families in order to have a leverage over them, as for assassins, they needed to completely cut all ties. Of course the kind and polite hanars never spoke of such and hid the cruel reality of their minds.

"This one is sad to report that Thane Krios was again trying to find information about his parents on the extra-net," one hanar said to another.

"This one is disappointed. Young Krios shows high potential and seemed pliable enough..."

"This one suspects that it is an act."

"Perhaps. This one believes that special treatment is in order."

"This one agrees."

And hour later one of the hanars approached Thane and told him he is allowed to write a letter for his parents due to his outstanding training, and he would be allowed to receive one in exchange from his parents. Thane, after a long time, felt happy and he promptly wrote one.

_**Dear mum and dad**__,_

_I miss you both so very much. The hanars are kind to me and the classes I'm taking are satisfying, but I wish I could see you both. When I can't sleep I remember the times when mum told me stories, and the times when we played games together... and then I am sad and I cry... I feel... lonely... There are other kids here, sure, but they are not family... they are not my cousins Sira and Lahka... I miss them also. We don't have any time to play here... The hanars say that playing games is counterproductive... Please tell me how you are all doing... I love you all._

_**Thane**_

It was a short letter. The hanars told him that he is not allowed to write about his training, nor in any way include any details as to his location. They told him it is for his and his parents protection. In doing that, it was not much he could write about.

He smiled and laughed and sang out of sheer happiness when the hanars gave him a letter from his parents. He would rather see them, but this was almost as good. Thane didn't opened the pad as soon as he got it, he even didn't opened it the next day, nor next week. The hanars already told him that he will not be able to write to them again in at least a year, so there was no hurry. He was happy enough to have a fresh words from them and he would read them when he would be sad and lonely again, use them to lighten his spirit. Thane kept the letter under his pillow, tightly gripping it as he slept. Of course he was extremely curious what is written in it, but he exercised discipline and he was proud that he managed it.

But then the happiness of receiving their letter faded away slowly. And only two months later, the exercises that they had became harsher, much harsher. At first they learned the theory mostly, and hand to hand battles. It was interesting and Thane was happy to learn all that he could. He finished his theory exam for first year with flying colours. He believed that a hand to hand exam would be much like an exercise... but it wasn't.

The kids were brought into the arena. Their teachers all gathered around to judge. All little drells were excited and could hardly wait to prove how good they learned, none expected what came next.

The hanars pitted the kids against each other in battles to the death. The first two drells fought, but neither of them wanted to kill another, they were friends and schoolmates after all. The hanars observed them for a while and then calmly replied that one must win over another, or they will both regretfully fail in their training. They informed them -_with great sadness-_ that the failure will bring death to both of them. When the two drells still resisted killing one another, the hanars stopped the fighting. Two of them approached them, enveloped them with their tentacles as in gently embracing them and then let electric current jump from their bodies into the bodies of the two drells. They apologised to other kids for such act, explained _-with great sadness and regret-_ that this is necessary. After that the kids fought to the end, there was no other way around it. They realized that an assassin has no friends. An assassin cannot have friends. An assassin is only a tool and a tool does how it's master orders.

Thane was forced to kill his best friend. He had no choice in it. He could let himself to be killed, however his survival instinct would not allow it. He detached his soul from his body just as he was taught, he evaded the punches swiftly, rolled away from kicks, until his body found the opening and he delivered two strong kicks into his opponents lungs, one strong punch into the tender folds on opponent's throat, and it all ended. He won.

The hanars praised him, complimented his skills. He felt... empty. There was no pride in what he has done, nothing. He remained detached... until it was time to sleep. Then his soul came crashing back into his body, screamed inside him, wailed and cried and took over. He shook on his bed, tears falling on the pillow. With shaking hand he opened pad he received from his parents, hoping that something would bring some warmth to his shivering body.

_**Thane**__,_

_we gave you to the Compact and that is your calling. You have no reason to cry. You have been given a great honour. We are doing good and our new son will soon be born to replace you. We don't appreciate you reminding us of you and we would prefer that you don't draw forth memories of us either. The hanars are your family now. Accept that for what it is and serve them well, as a drell should, for they saved our race from extinction and we owe them that. Learn well and thrive, become the best and honour us with that._

_**Mr. and Mrs. Krios**_

Thane re-read the letter ten times, even if his perfect memory stored every single word into memory the first time. There was no love, no soothing words in there. Thane cried for one week, ate nothing at all, and the hanars let him be, observing him through the two-way mirror in his room. When the last tear ran dry, Thane stored the pad into his box where he kept personal things. It would serve him as a reminder of what he is meant to do, a reminder that he has no family any-more, a reminder that he needs to pay for the services that the hanar did to the drell with serving them in a way they want from him. It was an honour.

Thane didn't know that his parents never received his letter. He didn't know that the letter he was given was carefully composed by his teachers. All he knew was, that he will do as best he could and learn all he can. That was his calling.

He still cried without tears every evening for next two years, but he had a goal and slowly he found solace in the training he was given. Slowly he started to feel pride when he succeeded at something.

Each year was harder than previous one, trainings harsher and cruel most of the times. Each year more and more beds in his class remained empty. There was no place for a second grade assassins. At the end, only one of his age would stay and Thane was determined that it would be him. He would be the one who would have an honour to serve the Illuminated Primacy.

The hanars were smart creatures. They isolated the drell children. The training that they devised was cruel and cold, but it did what was planned. With such acts they gained an assassins who knew nothing else than service to them, and they would do it gladly, for the hanars were their saviours. It was not just a training, it was not just a conditioning, it was a brain-washing. The drells had no idea what is happening with their kids. The galaxy had no idea what the hanars are doing in the depths of their beautiful seas. The hanars were knowns as gentle, diplomatic and honest race and nobody knew better, or simply didn't cared to know.

* * *

Thane was allowed to come to the surface of Khaje after six years. The summer of 2158 on Khaje smelled sweet and clean. The rains poured just as he remembered.

"Why are we here," he asked his mentor.

"It is time for your last test, Krios," the old drell answered.

"But I already won the last battle," Thane's ridges furrowed.

"True, you did, however you are not an assassin yet, Krios," was the answer he got.

"Why not," Thane asked.

"In battles you fought both parties knew what they are up to. There was no surprises. The wining depended only on your fighting skills. The assassin however must be ready to handle the unknown, to adjust as needed, plan," the mentor explained to him.

"Sounds like the theory tests that we took," Thane commented.

"It is time to put that theory in practice now," the mentor said.

"I understand," Thane nodded and he really did understand. This would be new to him, his "real" first kill. "What happens if I... fail," Thane asked. He was sure of his skills, but bit of doubt still lingered.

"An assassin who fails in a dead assassin, Krios, but you know that already, I'm sure" the mentor answered gravely.

Thane simply nodded.

* * *

Few hours later Thane squeezed himself into ventilation duct and infiltrated the Isillara complex. His mark was an asari scientist. They told him, that she would be found alone in the laboratory on 5th floor. He managed to pass the security unnoticed, just as he was taught. The asari however was not alone.

Thane watched and waited if the heavily armed guard would leave, but after a while it became obvious that it wont happen. Thane slowly and silently reassembled his sniper-rifle, fishing for parts in various pockets, silently unscrewed the plaiting in a ventilation, aimed at the armed asari, took deep breath and shoot, then quickly aimed at his real target and shoot again, even before the first one would fall to the ground. It was swift and silent. He quickly reassembled his sniper-rifle, stored the parts back to his pockets and found his way out of the complex.

He was proud. His first assignment ended successfully. The deaths were swift and clean and nobody noticed anything astray until he was long gone.

Thane Krios was now officially an assassin of the Illuminated Primacy. He would no longer live under the sea. He would travel the Galaxy and deal death as his masters would consider right. He was a tool and nothing more.

* * *

There was a new race walking around the premisses of the Citadel in 2162, the humans. There were not many there, but they draw attention. Many compared them to the asaris, but in Thane's professional opinion there were many difference between them. He was not taught about how to kill a human while he was still in his training, at the beginning nobody even knew they existed and when they found them, the hanars simply didn't yet included the knowledge about them in the training. Thane however, made his homework. He researched extra-net and further educated himself, as any self-respecting assassin would do. The human race looked fragile, far more squishy than the asari. They weren't as agile as the turian, nor strong as krogan, nor bloodthirsty as batarian, nor diplomatic as the hanar, nor heavy as the elcor, nor as compact as the drell, not as sensitive as quarian, not as skilled at trade as the volus, not as... They however were little of everything, and curious and inventive. Thane found them quite chaotic, to be honest, and he disliked chaotic. What he learned in his career however was, that one should not underestimate a human. They had a tendency to surprise you.

Thane sat on the bench on the Presidium, waiting for his contact who would give him details on his mark. He was inconspicuous in his relaxed posture even as all his senses were about the surroundings carefully. He was on his guard, as always. He was sixteen years old and already had an exemplar _-for an assassin-_ working history. His name was respected by his hanar employers, and sometimes even whispered in fear by other races.

His eyes fell upon eight years old human girl with lush brown pigtails, a blue flower that he didn't recognise stuck behind her ear. She held her father by his hand and laughed happily, her cheeks blushed. They stopped on the other side of the path and sat down on the bench. She sang a song she learned in school and Thane found himself listening to her cheerful childish voice. The man clapped his hands with a smile when her song was finished and caressed her little head adoring, kissed her cheek. He prompted her to sit, but there was to much energy in her to be on one spot for long. Soon she jumped back up, animatedly told him about some of her friends. Thane kept listening, her cheerful disposition like a warm rays of sun to him, while he was still perfectly aware of his surroundings, calculating threats.

Suddenly she stopped and turned around, her bright aquamarine eyes catching his. He wanted to look away, realizing that his spying is intruding, but he was unable to do so, locked in her bright innocent stare. She looked at him curiously for a moment and then she smiled brightly at him. Against himself he returned the smile.

His body jumped up in surprise as she ran towards him and stopped just few steps before colliding. She tilted her head curiously, carefully extended her hand to briefly touch his own, intrigued by the texture of his scales. As quickly as her finger touched him, her hand retreated and she smiled again at him. He had to return the smile, even if he didn't smiled for years.

Her father appeared beside her, gently tugged on her hand, but she evaded him and instead raised it to the blue flower sitting behind her ear. She briefly smelled it and then offered it to Thane, her eyes blinking. He accepted the little gift and sketched a bow to her. She giggled, grabbed her father and started to pull him away.

"I am sorry for the intrusion," the man addressed Thane. "She can sometimes be..."

"Nothing to be sorry about," he bowed respectfully to her father, a smile still plastered on his lips, without him realizing it.

The man nodded with a smile and bided farewell before he let her daughter to drag him back on the bench.

"Lieutenant Shepard, Commander Shepard will be late. She is still in the meeting with Mr. Udina," Thane heard the Alliance soldier address the man with a daughter before he noticed his contact approaching him.

The smile left him as quickly it came to him. He safely tucked the flower in one of his pocket. It was time to work again.


	6. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5: Twist and Shout**

**The Brain Camp: Part Two**

The Gagarin Station was vast complex floating in space just a little beyond Pluto in Sol System. If offered for a great view into the coldness of the space. Here you could find a small military encampment designated to enforce security, numerous laboratories where all kinds of experiments about biotics were conducted. In the middle of the facility was B.A.T, a school for few selected human children that exhibited great potential with their biotic powers.

There were children of various ages situated here. No parents allowed. It was a security measure, the Alliance told the parents. The biotics were dangerous if they didn't learn how to control their powers and this program would help them with it. Since humans didn't yet have much experience with biotics, or rather they had none, they enlisted help from the turians. The Alliance knew that the asari would be more fit for this, considering that every asari was a biotic, but from political reasons they choose the turians. It would help in building the trust between the races, or so they believed.

They _-almost-_ snatched the biotics from their parents, not actually giving them a chance to refuse their generous offer of teaching their kids. Some parents weren't happy with this ordeal, others however let their kids go willingly, to afraid of them as it was.

Kaidan Alenko was one of the kids that was selected for the program. His parents would prefer if he would stay with them, however since that was not an option, they hoped this would give Kaidan the opportunity of career and normal life.

Kaidan was excited at first. He finally was among kids who were as he was, they didn't fear him, they didn't shout -FREAK- after him if he turned blue. It was almost a heaven... almost. He missed his mother and his father tremendously, but at least he was able to speak with them over vid-calls once per week. That made things easier.

* * *

First two years of Kaidan`s life on Jump Zero were quite good. The biotic training program was still under construction and in majority they only thought them how to not turn blue at every moment when their emotions would peak one way or another. They learned the theory, meditative breathing techniques and trained how harmlessly release the excessive biotic energy that their bodies accumulated. They were also taught the standard school classes like history and such.

Kaidan showed interest in techs and as such was given an opportunity to go to techs-oriented classes. He has really enjoyed those, learning how to hack, how to modify circuit-boards, how to make different kind of mods. His father was an Alliance career man and Kaidan hoped that he would be able to follow his steps and perhaps enlist in the Alliance as a technician. It would make his father proud.

In 2166 things changed. All kids undergo an operation procedure in which they were implanted with L2 chips. They told them that in order for them to actually productively use their biotic abilities they need one. It would gather the energy the body produced and help them focus it in actions that their minds would will. Kaidan welcomed the opportunity with childish naïvety. They didn't informed them that there might be side effects, that perhaps some of them wouldn't even survive the implantation.

A month later Kaidan realized that only 3/4th of his friends and schoolmates

still remained. Other beds remained empty, the property of the previous residents taken away by the Alliance staff. They explained to them, that these kids were taken to another facility where they would undergo a slightly different training. Many believed them, Kaidan however did not. He asked why they didn't have the opportunity to say goodbye but his questions were meet with silence.

He would keep asking, however there were simply too much things going on with him that demanded his uttermost attention.

After he was implanted with L2 chip, he started to experience extreme migraines that put him to bed for weeks at a time. He was unable to stand any kind of light or sound, his nervous system overloaded completely. His brains hurt to the point that he seriously considered smashing his head into the wall until he would feel nothing more. He resisted such inclinations as much as he could, squirming in torment second into second, minute into minute, hour into hour... The breathing and meditation hardly helped.

When the pain would stop he would take classes again, the regular ones, the techs ones and the biotic ones. If at first he was easily able to control his biotic abilities, this became negated with the implant. It took much more strain than before.

He only vaguely noticed that more and more of his schoolmates disappeared, he was to preoccupied with his own problems to really comprehend it. At one point one of his schoolmates completely lost control of his biotics and lashed at everything and everybody that came his way, screaming and laughing like a madman. It took twenty people to take him down, subdue him and drag him away. After that, they never saw him again. No one explained what happened to him nor where they transported him. Few other schoolmates were transported to some hospital as soon as they discovered tumorous growths in their brain. Again, the others were not offered much explanation.

It was a year of hell.

* * *

Kaidan slowly regained control of his biotics. The migraines were not as harsh any-more and he learned how to manage through them. It seems to him that slowly things are turning and easier times lay ahead of him.

Others _-those that remained at least-_ seemed to feel better also. The laughs returned to Jump Zero.

When they weren't studying, they would gather in the day-room and play extra-net games, or other games. They would read books, watch holo-vids, play basketball, dance to the latest music from the Earth.

A group of more technical-oriented kids would put their heads together and they would reprogram the VI's on the station to say funny things, or jam the teachers inside bathrooms. They would be punished later, but it was worth it.

At one point they managed to hack into stations classified files.

"Hey Kaidan, lets look what the files have to say about us," Jarris said to him.

"I don't think we should... the files are classified for a reason," Kaidan tried to object. He would rather not break the rules to such extent.

"What are you afraid of? That we will learn you still sleep with a teddy-bear," Jax teased him.

Kaidan frowned: "It's NOT a teddy-bear! It's a dragon. Mayor difference. And I don't sleep with it."

"Bah, dragon or teddy-bear. They are both fluffy," Jarris laughed.

"It's not fluffy! It is fully automated robot, I beg you pardon," Kaidan`s temper was getting bad.

"So what. Did your daddy bought it for you," Jax teased.

"You know perfectly well that I made it myself," Kaidan replied annoyed.

"Bah, you're no fun," Jarris rolled his eyes.

"Did you managed to program it so it would breathe fire," Jax seemed interested now.

"I'm working on it. I lack some of the materials, but as far I see it, I should be able to do that in probably a month or so," Kaidan replied with a smile.

"That's awesome," Jarris stared at Kaidan with wide-eyes. "Could you also make my G.I. John actually shoot... hmm... watermelon seeds?"

"That toy you got from you mum? Hm, I don't think so. However, if you manage to make a completely new frame, I would be able to do a circuit board for it and make him move, eventually make him shoot seeds also," Kaidan smiled.

"AWSOME! I will be so doing that," Jarris said excitedly.

"It's a deal then," Kaidan grinned.

"So, files. Lets look what they say, shall we," Jax said.

"I'm more interested to check if there are any files on the guys that left... perhaps we could learn where they are and get back into contact with them again," Kaidan suggested.

"Hm, that's good idea, let's do it," Jax agreed and Jarris nodded his consent.

What they discovered was far from what they hoped. Most of their missing friends were dead, the reports said that they either fell into comma and eventually died or their brains became completely fried. Some developed brain cancer and it was progressing so fast that they weren't able to save them. Few went completely insane. They removed theirs implant and stuck them into asylum. There was also a number of those who committed suicide, not being able to deal with migraines and everything else that the implants caused them, hearing voices and seeing things that weren't there.

They could hardly comprehend the extent of what they learned. Jarris confronted one of the teachers about what they discovered and soon he was taken away. Jax stayed for a week more, but he vanished one night also, after he started to voice his thought about what they read.

Kaidan was worried, for his friends and himself. He wanted to face the teachers, demand answers from them, tell his father what he learned. He was just about to contact his father when one of the teachers approached him.

"Kaidan Alenko, please follow me to my office," the teacher said.

"Why, sir," Kaidan asked, not moving.

"There are things we need to discuss," the teacher raised his eyebrow.

"Can't we do so here,sir," Kaidan asked. He was scared, but he knew that if they would want to do something to him, they would, no matter where or when.

"No, we can't. Follow me," the teacher answered coldly.

Kaidan could do nothing else than obey. When the doors of the office closed the teacher asked him to sit down, and again, Kaidan did what he was told to.

"So, Jax Maringold and Jarris Trebain told me that you were with them when you three hacked into secured files," the teacher said while looking into a file. Kaidan didn't replied. The teacher looked at him, raised an eyebrow and spoke again: "Soo, were you there or not?"

"I was, sir," Kaidan replied. He figured there is no use of lying. They knew.

"All right. They told us that you were the one that did the real hacking. Is that true," the teacher asked.

"It is, sir," Kaidan replied coldly.

"Hmm, as I thought. You are in top of the class in techs after all," the teacher nodded approvingly. "They also told us that it was their idea and that you initially didn't want to look into the files. Is that true," the teacher asked again.

"It would seem so," Kaidan frowned. The teacher looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Kaidan quickly amended: "It would seem so, SIR."

"That is better," the teacher said. "It would be shame to lose you, Alenko."

It was Kaidan`s turn to raise an eyebrow: "Sir?"

"You have a makings of a good technician. The Alliance is always in need of them. Furthermore, by examining your files, I see that there is also great potential with your biotics, if you would learn what we have to teach. That is again something that the Alliance could benefit from." The teacher raised his eyes back at Kaidan, observing him for a while before speaking again: "What you did is a crime though and the Alliance doesn't look favourably at criminals, nor does the society in general, as you probably know. Alenko, you should decided what you want. A possibility of career in the Alliance, or being a criminal. What appeals to you most?"

"I have no inclination to become a criminal, sir," Kaidan frowned. He was telling the truth.

"Perhaps not, but you did put a toe out of line here and where one toe goes, a foot soon follows, Alenko," the teacher sighted.

"We just wanted to contact our friends," Kaidan defended himself as much as he defended his two friends.

"Perhaps. We could forget about this incident... of course if it wouldn't occurred again, that is. You are still a kid after all, and we all make mistakes," the teacher slightly smiled.

"Sir, if I may ask... what happened to Jax and Jarris," Kaidan risked a question.

The teacher frowned: " They were returned to their respective families. Both of them shown signs of excessive aggression and mental instability. Not enough to put them into Asylum, but enough that they had to finish their training before time. It would do them no good."

"And that mental instability and aggression, as you call it, wasn't present before now," Kaidan did not exactly believe his teacher.

"It actually was. We however hoped that we will be able to fix it... sadly it didn't worked that way," the teacher replied and there was an actual hint of sincerity there or perhaps he just played very good.

"So I will be able to contact them and stay in touch," Kaidan asked.

"You can, if you wish. I can send their addresses into your omni-tool. We would however prefer that you wouldn't. We don't wish you to be negatively influenced, however at the end it is your decision," the teacher replied.

"All right, sir... then I would ask for their addresses," Kaidan said.

"So be it," the teacher said and forwarded the addresses. "Now, about what you read in those files... I would hope that you would keep the information for yourself."

"You want me to help you with covering it up, sir," Kaidan asked, anger flaring him light blue.

"No, not to cover up. To prevent a spread of panic. Tell me, Alenko, what good would it do to your friends, if they would know that they could die because of the implants, that their brains can fry, that they can go crazy any time? Would it help them to adjust to the implants? Would it help them in learning to control it and use it for greater good? Or would they panic, their biotic energy flowing unrestrained until their implants would over-cloak and fry, eventually destroy their nervous system," the teacher said slowly.

"I... I guess it wouldn't help," Kaidan had to admit.

The teacher nodded: "Yes, it wouldn't. Even you have harder time to control your biotics now, and you were doing it better than any other. It wasn't an easy decision to not tell you all about these things, but we felt it would be better if we didn't. As cruel as that decision might sound to you, I believe it was the right one," the teacher spoke sadly.

"Did you know that the implants would cause all these complications," Kaidan asked.

"We didn't. You need to understand, that biotics are something completely new for humanity, a next step in the evolution. Even as we speak we are still unable to completely grasp it, but we need to, now even more than before, with all the new species that we are encountering. Progress, an understanding of progress must begin somewhere... It is never a straight line, there are always falls... consequences... hard decisions... looses... We are now on a space station, we are travelling from one solar system into another... but even that came with a price, with looses... many have died so that we have achieved this stage," the teacher spoke.

"That is true," Kaidan had to reluctantly admit.

"I hoped that you would understand, Alenko. You have a fine mind," the teacher sighted.

"I can understand, but I don't have to agree with it... it seems wrong," Kaidan shook his head. A migraine started to evolve.

"Life is sadly not always black and white... The decisions that we made were hard, and many of us will never sleep serenely at night because we made them... that is the price that we paid... Regardless of that however, the decision had to be made and we have to live with them," the teacher said.

"I understand that," Kaidan replied.

"That is good. How did you decided then? Will you keep silent or will you spread what you know," the teacher asked him.

"It will be hard to keep silent... but the right things usually are hard to do, so I think that would be a right thing to do," Kaidan said looking away from the teacher, then he turned back to him and added: " For now..."

The teacher nodded his understanding: "That is all we ask from you."

"Is there anything else or can I go now? I feel like my head will explode," Kaidan complained. The migraine came into full blow.

"It would be all for now. I suggest that you visit med-bay and get some medicine," the teacher said with sympathy.

"I would rather not, sir," Kaidan replied. He didn't liked seeking medical help, until really necessary.

"Why not," the teacher raised his eyebrow.

"The medicine just dulls the pain a little, pushes it aside and when it gets out of the system, the migraine returned, stronger than before. I have also learned that, if I fight it naturally then the next one becomes slightly less painful or at least a bit more manageable," Kaidan explained. It was strange, but it was true. His first migraine got him unable to do anything for a month, now he was able to get back on feet in a week. As he saw it, that was progress.

"I see. That is interesting, Alenko. Would you mind if we would run some scans over the time to see if there is any pattern there that we could perhaps use in discovering how to help the others," the teacher asked, quite interested.

"Sure. I don't see why not," Kaidan shrugged and winced in pain as he did so.

"We will try to do it as fast and unobtrusive as possible. There is no need for you to go to lab. A doctor will visit you in your room," the teacher said.

"All right... now if you don't mind, sir, I think I really need to lay down," Kaidan said between breaths. He doubted that he will be able to even get to his room at this point.

"Of course," the teacher said softly. "Let me help you get to your room... I don't want you to fall and harm yourself..."

"Thank you," Kaidan replied gratefully as the teacher escorted him to his room, supporting his weight.

* * *

When Kaidan was on his legs again he contacted Jax and Jarris.

Jax told him that he lost control and attacked a doctor while he was scanning him. He explained that he just became angry all of a sudden and launched at him, lost it completely. He had no explanation about why that happened, but it did. His implant was removed and he was doing better afterwards, but the anger still remained and he was taking anger-management classes. Otherwise he was doing rather good and was glad to be back with his family. Jax promised that he would stay in contact with Kaidan, and hoped that Kaidan would stay with him.

Jarris was another story. He claimed that he can hear whispers. They are ordering him to harm others. He also claimed that he was able to see all those class-mates that have died and they attacked him and beat the hell out of him, even cut him. He showed Kaidan the scares when they spoke over the vid-comm. He told Kaidan that he has to eat some pills to silence the voices. He doesn't want to harm anybody, and he didn't yet, he wont... as long as he is on the medicine. He told Kaidan that he was hearing the voices even before he came to Jump Zero, not as loud, but they were there, he just didn't told anybody. He told him that he thought he was enough of a freak already and he didn't wanted to be even bigger. Kaidan promised him that he will stay in contact with him also.

It seemed that the teacher wasn't laying to Kaidan, but a bit of doubt still lingered, but he pushed it aside as much as he could.

He did called his father, however, and told him what happened. His father was in the Alliance and Kaidan felt that he has the right to know. He accepted the information calmly and told Kaidan much the same as his teacher did. He didn't liked what Kaidan told him, but just as his son did, father understood the -whys- also. He asked Kaidan if he would rather stop his schooling and return home, told him that they were informed that he has such an option if he would wish it.

Kaidan considered the option for few days and it did seemed extremely appealing to him. He wished he could gaze at the English Bay again, to help his mother cook meals, to go with his father to the observatory... It was tempting.

A week later, when he spoke with his parents again, he however told them that he would stay. He came to far to just simply quit now. What he didn't told them was, that there was this girl from Turkey on Jump Zero that he came to know. She was beautiful and kind and gentle... and he didn't wish to leave just yet...


	7. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6: Shoot and Salute**

**The Villa: Part Two**

Arcturus Station was bristling with the Alliance soldiers, tutors, recruits,... The premises were clean of excessive, coloured in dark grey with a hint of blue. It was an Alliance issue station, military complex where the recruits would train, where the soldiers would be designated to positions, where some of them would spend shore-leave, where the ships were built, supplied and maintained. Floors through 1 to 5 were reserved for docks, floor 6 was designated to be a cargo-hold. You could find few military issued shops, dinners and soldier's or officer's clubs, a holo-vid room, a library and such on level 7. On levels 8 to 14 there were personal rooms intended for the the staff. On 15th and 16th level were situated officers. 17th level was reserved for med-bays and laboratories. On floor 18 to 22 were training facilities and the Alliance Academy. Floors 23 to 30 were of limits to all that didn't worked on them. Only selected few knew that floors 31 to 35 even existed.

Angel Sun Shepard was attending the Alliance Academy at floors 18 to 22. She and James Vega enlisted at the same time, just as they said they would. For the first six months they both underwent the standard Alliance training.

They were running a strict schedule. The wakening happened at 4 in the morning, with only 30 minutes time to dress, make the bed and eat breakfast that consisted of some sticky goo. For next eight hours they were learning theory. Then they had another 30 minutes for lunch, which wasn't any better than the breakfast. After that came six hours of physical training, all from shooting, to running and crawling in full gear. When a dinner time came with another sticky goo-paste everybody was already to tired to actually care what they eat. After dinner they were given few sheets of paper with all kinds of different questions, some serious and some completely ridicules, that they had to answer. They served for psychical evaluation. If here was a hint that they would break, they were called for a therapy the next day, if that didn't helped them, they were sent home, their career in the Alliance forlorn. After that they had 30 minutes to wash the grim. They had exactly two hours to go over the theory that they learned over the day and do a home-assignement, then at 10 in the evening the lights went out and they were allowed to sleep.

Every fourteen days they had a free day when they could do almost anything that they wanted. They were allowed to contact their parents and visit level 7 of the station. They were not allowed to go home and there were strict rules against fraternization in place, preventing them to... go wild.

All in all it was a harsh training. Those whose parents served the Alliance had much less trouble of adjusting to this regime than those that didn't, since they were in the past already schooled by the Alliance. It didn't really compare, but it did gave them some needed footing to start with.

Shepard and Vega spent almost all downtime together, either at the bar or on shooting range where they like to compete against each other. They were friends from when they were little kids, and being together on the Alliance training bought them even more together.

"Yo Sunny, I have an idea," Vega after one drink to many said.

"I ain't no Sunny," Shepard frowned. "But do tell me what your brilliant idea is today," she laughed.

"I think of you like a little sister," Vega blurred.

"Little?! Ha! I can take you down in hand-to-hand any-time, bro," she punched him in the shoulder playfully.

"Ouch! Yea, that's because I let you. There's no way I would beat my lil` sister," Vega laughed.

"Ha, keep telling yourself that and perhaps it will become true," she laughed at him. "But anyhow, tell me what your marvellous mind came up with.

"Well, I was thinking," Vega started to explain but was cut short.

"Wait! WHAT!? You can actually think," Shepard teased, laughing.

"Don't be such an ASS," Vega smirked.

Shepard punched him again, this time harder, shooting daggers at him with her eyes. She wasn't fond of people making fun of her name.

"All right, all right," Vega laughed. "I take it back. So, what do you say if we get a matching tattoo?"

"A tattoo? Why," she raised an eyebrow.

"For fun! I thought we could make a little blood ritual, you know cutting in our palms and such, then declare we are connected by blood... but I don't like idea of you being cut so... tattoo sounds better," he slurred.

"Hm, all right... and what picture do you want us to get," she asked.

"Something with boobs of course," he said utterly serious.

"No way Jose," she laughed.

"Fine, fine... then... I don't know, I get your name tattooed and you mine," he asked smiling.

"All right, but just the first letters and I get to choose where you put mine," she laughed.

"Sure, sis," he nodded.

An hour later she had letter JV tattooed on her hip. She actually draw a little picture of a sword adorned with a thorny rose, with the letters as small as possible written on the blade. It looks nice.

She drew a big flaming heart with letters ASS inside to give the artist who tattooed it then straight on right cheek of Vega's behind. Vega, who was intoxicated by the beverages they previously had, had no idea what exactly he was getting for she smugly hid it from his eyes.

Three days later when they were back on training and were finally allowed to have a shower the laughs from the male shower-room was heard miles away. Vega exited the room which cheeks burning bright red. Shepard waited for him with smug expression, leaned to the wall with crossed arms. She expected him to at least rant a little, perhaps even challenge her for a fight, but Vega didn't do anything like. He stared at her for a bit, his face devoid of expression. She braced herself for his -attack-, but it never came. He made five long steps towards her, sneaked his hands around her waist and lifted her up, twirled them three times and kissed her on a cheek with loud -POOP- before putting her back down. Without looking at her, he turned around and strolled away with confident strides. Shepard was just staring after him not being sure what exactly happened. Before Vega would vanish into the boys dormitory, he put a thumb inside his pants and pushed them down a little, revealing the tattoo, looked at her over the shoulder and winked, laughing. Shepard brilliantly smiled at him.

Six months later their paths were separated. Their basic training has concluded and they were assigned to different human colonies to gain some practice.

Angel Sun Shepard was doing great. The commanding officers learned to respect her and even on some rare occasions asking her on her opinions. Other soldiers tended to look up to her also. She shown skill, readiness and cleverness.

* * *

In a span of two years she was deployed on several high-risk missions in which she excelled and thus earned a title of 2nd Lieutenant, later 1st Lieutenant in record time. Angie Sun Shepard was fully committed to the Alliance and it was obvious to all who meet her, that she has a sparkling career ahead of her, if she would continue as she started.

It didn't took long for her to be contacted by Admiral Hackett _-he was promoted in the mean time-_ who offered her an opportunity to continue her training at the Interplanetary combative Training. ITC was the Systems Alliance's premier school for leadership and combat expertise. The N-School or The Villa, as it was sometimes called, recruited officers from every branch of Earth's militaries to partake in gruelling courses at Vila Militar in Rio de Janeiro.

Initially she had to train for more than 20 hours per day, lead small combat teams through hostile terrains with little sleep of food. She did good and was thus awarded an internal designation of N1 and was invited to return when she would want to.

Shepard took only a week for a well-needed shore-leave and decided to return immediately, hungry for more.

In later courses through N2 to N6- were often held off-planet and included instructions in zero-G combat, military free-fall (parachuting), jet-pack flight, combat diving, combat instruction, inquisitions and frontier trauma care for human and alien biology.

Shepard went all the way to receiving an internal rank of N5 and enlisted to a training of N6, which was considered the highest grade of training. N6 provided actual combat experience in conflict zones throughout the galaxy and was thus not an actual training, but battle for survival that could happened anywhere at any time while they were on regular assignments. If the trainee survived such scenario in -admirable and effective fashion-, he or she finally received the coveted N7 designation which was also the only ICT designation that may be worn on the field or dress uniforms.

There was practically no shame in failing an N course - the training was so extreme that even qualifying for N1 raised an officer to a position of respect. The universal prestige of merely attending the academy helped to restrain trainees from taking excessive risks in pursuit of higher honours. Although ITC qualification by itself didn't guarantee higher rank, those officers who were able to complete the program were typically well suited to senior leadership positions.

* * *

In 2176 Shepard was on a mission on Elysium, even if everybody thought she was just going on a short-leave... well, it was not far from the truth for she would indeed have few days for herself afterwards.

She double-checked the information that was given to her before destroying it, she activated her cloak and unseen passed the guards of the Praxis complex. Cameras were already feeding a "static" picture on the monitors, so from there on, she was free to simply run to the emergency staircase that would lead her to the roof. She was up there in no time. She walked to the edge of the roof and looked down. It would certainly be a long fall. She laid on the floor, reassembled her sniper-rifle and looked through the scope, prying into privacy of people living in next building. A minute passed by and already she could see her target. She drew a careful breath, exhaled and simultaneously pressed the trigger. Head-shot. The Cerberus Operator was dead. She carefully disassembled her weapon, got up and leaved the same way she came, using her cloak when needed. When she was good distance away she sent a short message, telling the Alliance Command that she was successful. Now it was time for her to simply relax for few days and wait for the ship to which she was assigned to, to pick her up.

Only a day later her "vacation" was terminated.

Pirates and slavers attack came unexpected. She rallied all men and woman capable holding a gun, ordered kids and others to lay hidden in the cellars and organized the defence of the colony. The Alliance sent reinforcements, but they were a long way away.

A day went by, but the line was held. Two days passed and the line was still held, however the attackers were relentless. The "protectors" took turns in defence. Three days passed, the line was held but there were also casualties. Local doctor distributed the stimulants to keep them standing. The munition was going sparse. On fourth day, the civilians were too tired to offer much of the resistance, but the reinforcements were close... only two hours more to hold the line.

She ordered everybody to bunker down and be the last line of defence while she grabbed all spare ammo left and ran ahead. She strategically picked a spot with best defence and best view, and wrecked havoc upon the assaulting force. The line was held, but her nerves were slowly cracking down. She used up the last ammo she had and offered a quick prayer to whatever god was listening -if any-, thinking that she surely wont come out from this alive.

But the line was held long enough. The Alliance come and hunted down the remaining pirates and slavers, there were not many left but some.

Few days later she was declared a Hero and risen in the ranks to Staff Lieutenant. In her mind she just did what she had to do. She didn't seen anything heroic in it. Lives were lost, but ITC deemed her survival, her actions admirable and effective and thus she was granted N7 designation and with that even harder assignments.


	8. Chapter 7

_**CHAPTER 7: Sunrise Reds**_

**The Compact: Part Three**

For first few years Thane was perfectly content to only work, or when he didn't, to meditate in one of his apartments that he bought them by different names. But then, one summer day, that simply wasn't enough any-more. He was remembering a tiny girl that he meet on the Citadel for probably the hundredth time and every-time that he did, something stirred inside him. He found it... unsettling. He wasn't able to remain inactive any-more so he crawled out of his hole and went, of all possible things, sight-seeing. As he gazed on horizon over the hills, his breath was taken away. His modified eyes could not correctly translate the red hues that he saw, but that made things even more... intriguing.

As he was returning home for his evening meditation and prayer he noticed a little shop with canvases and brushes and he could not resist himself to just walk by. He returned home and then he started to paint what he saw and how he saw it. He was quite... pleased.

Later he discovered that he is quite fond of reading and soon his apartments were filled with old tomes. He even tried himself in poetry and he believed that he was quite good at it also.

He would never quit to be an assassin. He was used of being one and in all truth, he was actually proud, and he found the job satisfying. He didn't felt any guilt what-so-ever when he took life, he was just a tool after all and the deaths that he caused were on his employers shoulders, not his. He strived to give his marks a clean death because that is a kindness that everybody deserved. He even uttered a little prayer for their souls before turning around and vanishing into the shadows.

All in all, he believed his life was good.

* * *

Thane was glad that he was again able to see Khaje. It was a year of 2165 and he was away on missions all over the galaxy for quite few years. His days were spent either on jobs or in waiting for new assignments, indulging in hobbies that he had.

He was casually strolling among the streets humming a tune that his mother ages ago sang to him before night-time. He paid no attention to where his legs were carrying him and all of a sudden he found himself gazing at a house that he remembered. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Krios, his parents.

They were sitting on the front porch and speaking in hushed tones. Thane stopped and silently observed them, not daring to come closer. A moment later a boy around the age of 15 came running to them. They laughed. Thane concluded that it was probably his brother, he even looked a little like him if he ignored the smiles.

Thane seriously considered to step to them for a bit, but then changed his mind as he remembered the letter that he got from his parents ages ago. They probably didn't wish to see him anyhow and even if they did, he had no idea what to say to them. A simple _-hello-_ seemed a little too mundane.

Thane recorded their faces to memory, uttered a prayer for their well-being and turned around. He didn't noticed Mrs. Krios who looked after him, extended her hand in invitation, nor heard her breathlessly saying his name. By the time that she came around and actually came running after him, he already turned around the corner and vanished out of the view.

Mr. Krios came running after her and when she told him, that she saw Thane,

they both run the streets searching for him. Even Thane's youngest brother joined the search, desperately hoping that he would finally be able to meet his older brother of whom he heard so much. Few hours later they gave up, their hearts saddened.

Thane was glad that he was at least able to see them...

* * *

Few days later he was on a job again. He finally was able to track down his mark.

Laser dot danced on the mark. He inhaled and was just about to exhale when an innocent passer-bay blocked off his aim, her sunset-coloured eyes stared him down in indignation.

"_How dare you,_" her eyes accused him, his fingers leaved the trigger, trembling, he turned off the targeting laser as the breath he has held was finally allowed to leave his lungs. He kept staring through the scope, observing the blue-scaled beauty. He didn't make the kill... that day...

Thane was confused. He could not meditate, his mind bringing forth the memory of the sunset-colored eyes and it quickened his heart. He wished... he didn't know what he wished.

It took him whole night to regain his composure. The thoughts of shimmering blue scales, of lips with hint of pink, of eyes in colours of the sunset lingered with him even then. It was... frustrating.

He splashed his face with cold water, prayed to his goods for the calmness and steady hand, equipped himself with a gun, cheeked the knives and set out. He almost failed at his assignment and he found that... unforgivable.

He searched for his target once more and corrected his mistake with one precise shoot that penetrated the victims heart. His honour as an assassin was...regained.

When he was returning back to his rented apartment however, memories came washing over him again, the memories of the sunset-colour eyes accusing him and he felt... humiliated.

He meditated... confused and shaken. He tried to find answers. At long last he got up and ran from his hiding place in search the sunset-coloured eyes that stared him down.

He was... possessed. He had to meet her. To speak with her. To ask her... forgiveness.

Days later he found her, Irikah was her name. He rang the bell uncertain what he would do, what he wants to do. She opened the door and he fell on his knees, begging for her for forgiveness.

* * *

Irikah was at first angry at him, cursing and accusing him. It was a humiliating experience for Thane, but something was driving him on and he persisted, asking her for forgiveness each time that he was able to visit her, while he was between jobs.

He wasn't asking for forgiveness for the jobs he did before she stared him down, nor for the jobs he did after that, being an assassin was his job and he felt nothing dis-honourable in it, and certainly not disrespectful. He just wanted a her forgiveness for one single kill, the one that he made even if she tried to prevent it.

He didn't even tried to speak about the other jobs he did with her, he could

not, she would be unable to... understand.

After a while she forgave him and eventually started to seek out his company. He took her on long walks on the shores of Khaje, he made a painting of her, he wrote and recited songs for her. She took him to fancy restaurants, shopping, to high society clubs. Of course he would be the one to cover their expenses, he was a gentleman after all and he could easily afford it due him being recognized as the Galaxies best assassin and thus earning large sums for his work. Irikah knew that he is still making life as an assassin and she kept frowning on it, arguing with him that what he is doing is wrong. When the bill came to the table, she however simply looked away, not minding from where his money came.

In time, Irikah introduced him to her friends, later to his parents. He... loved her and she loved him also. Thane found it... unbelievable.

It was fall of 2166 when he sneakily held her by the hand, her family and her friends gathered around them, and they spoke the vows that bonded them in marriage.

Thane felt like he was...dreaming.

* * *

Only a year after their marriage Thane got a son. They named him Kolyat, after Thane's father. He wished that he could visit his parents, presented them with his beautiful wife and his son... but he pushed that thought aside.

He stared in amazement and adoration at little blue bundle in his hands. He gazed at his sleeping son and he worried if he is up to the task of raising him.

"You will be the best father in whole galaxy," Irikah told him, guessing his thoughts.

He smiled at her and kissed her, but the doubt still lingered in his mind.

When his son was born, Thane decided that he would quit his job for Illuminated Primacy. They were not happy with his decision and tried to convince him otherwise, but at the end they let him go, allowing him to take leave so he would be able to raise his family.

Thane didn't felt exactly fine with him quitting his job, but that was what his wife demanded. They had quite a heated argument about it, well at least it was heated on Irikah side, Thane just tried to calmly explain to her his viewpoint... unsuccessfully. At the end Irikah threatened him that she would take their son away if he would not quit being an assassin and Thane... gave in.

* * *

Thane spent almost everything that he earned in short span of one year, or rather Irikah did. She wanted the biggest and most luxurious house and Thane bought it for them. She wanted the most luxurious furniture and Thane obliged. She wanted to host high-class parties and Thane allowed her to. Irikah wanted and Thane bought it, but the money dwindled and then was when the arguments begun anew.

They argued, he disliked when they did that. Irikah did not understand, she didn't not wanted to. The money he received when he left the service for the hanar's has dwindled to almost nothing as he made sure to spoil her and his son alike. He was not able to find a suitable job for him, no matter how hard he looked. He informed her that he will be freelancing and she did not took it good. She didn't understand that being an assassin is all that he knows how to do and that they can't live out from his artistic endeavours alone.

He tried to wrap his arms around her, but she took a step back, her sunset-colour eyes burned as she turned her back on him. His breath caught in his lungs and he coughed. She turned around, worry erasing the anger: "You should visit a doctor..."

"It is nothing," he assured her and offered her his hand. She reluctantly accepted it and he pulled her against him, holding tight.

* * *

Another year passes and there are no more arguments, no shouting, no broken dishes, just heavy moments of silence, full of unsaid accusations and deep shame.

Thane was away from his family often, on assignments. They didn't speak of it, they tried to pretend all is well and it was, when Kolyat was with them, but when he slept... there was profound coldness. He didn't knew how to fix it, but he was trying... Irikah was trying also.

* * *

In year 2170 he finished a job on the Citadel. He entered a shop on Zakera Ward. He promised Kolyat that he would bring him something when he returns. He browsed the wares, trying to figure what his son would like, his eye-ridges were knitted together as he felt unsure and annoyed by the fact that he didn't knew what to buy him.

He vaguely noticed another customer steeping in, quickly evaluating the threat level, he decided there is none and concentrated back to the task at hand. He registered that the customer was looking at him, but he paid no attention, he was used of stares when he wasn't in his _-assassin mode-_. A drell is not a common sight after all.

"Your face will crack if you keep knitting your brows like that for longer," a clear girl's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Perhaps," he answered. He didn't wished to come across as impolite even if he found the intrusion annoying.

"Maybe I can help you," she offered kindly enough for him to not be able to refuse.

"I can not deny that I am indeed in need of help," he answered but didn't looked up.

"Who are you buying for," she asked, already casting her eyes on various toys and utensils.

"A son," he replied with pride and adoration while looking at the puzzle-box.

"Awww, that's sweet," she trilled. "How old," she asked again.

"Three years," he answered with a warm smile

"Wonderful! My cousin is the same age," she commented. "How about this," she handed him a box of colourful sticks and a paper-book filled with various shapes of animals, a rare commodity in the age of electronics.

He took it and looked at it curiously: "That is... perfect," he smiled and raised his eyes to the girl. "Thank you for your help." He blinked few times as he meet a pair of aquamarine eyes.

"Don't mention it, " she smiled. He seemed somehow familiar but she wasn't able pint-point it from where.

Her omni-tool beeped and her attention was immediately drown to it. "Oh, I am running late..." she frowned. "I hope your son will like the gift," she cast a smile at him before she scurried off.

A memory of little browned haired girl with pigtails played before his eyes and when he finally pulled himself out from it, she was already gone. He mentally shook himself, paid for crayons and the colour-book and hurried home.

Kolyat laughed and squeaked and jumped as he was presented with a little gift. He spent hours colouring.

Few months later a doctor told Thane that he has Khepral Syndrome, his world twisted upside-down once again.

Irikah didn't took the news good, neither did he.

* * *

In next four years he is rarely home, always working. His time is limited and he wants to make sure that his wife and son would be provided for a life-time.

They consider the option of lung transplant, but it is expensive. He puts it on for later time, first he would earn enough for when he...

Irikah was angry, he could read it in her eyes, but she give up, letting him do what he thought was for the best.

He was away on the job for eight lunar months. The longest ever, longer than he anticipated. When he returned home, he was met with coldness and it saddened him.

* * *

In 2174 he finished another job on the Citadel.

Thane was waiting for ship to leave for Khaje. He had few hours still left. He wondered around the Citadel, his legs carried him to Dark Star on their own accord, his wife and son on his mind.

He sat in the corner, back turned to the wall and ordered a glass of Tekana, just waiting for time to pass by. His eyes drifted from person to person, evaluating the threat levels, marking the exits in case of danger and such, before his eyes fell on a woman on the dance-floor.

She moved with the beat, lost in the music, her brown hair spilling over her shoulders. Her back was turned to him but he would hazard a guess that her eyes were closed.

He observed her, letting himself feel the relaxed vibe coming from her. A human male approached her and they danced together. A memory of happier times came to Thane's mind, of him and Irikah dancing and swirling around.

It leaved a tiny glimpse of smile on his lips, even if a bitter one. He noticed the woman leaving the dance-floor, a pair of aquamarine eyes looked into his direction, but not at him. He noticed she was wearing the Alliance "blues", it seemed that she is a soldier now. She leaved with others and he looked at other guests of the establishment.

A turian bartender came to his table, carrying a glass of Tekana and putted it down on his table.

"I did not," Thane started but was cut short.

"From that Alliance woman who was here before," the turian answered and walked away.

Corner of Thanes lip curled up in a smile. She remembered him. Thane chuckles at the thought that if she wouldn't be so fast to leave, he would approached her and asked her for a dance. Her swift disappearance was...unfortunate.

* * *

Thane cursed the year of 2175. The rains on Khaje were intensified ten-folds, the sky almost completely absent of the sun-rays.

He returned home. He promised Irikah this would be the last job he took. He earned more than enough money and he would take a lung transplant when needed. All was not good between them, far from it, but they would try, for Kolyat's sake if nothing else.

He entered their home and his world shattered.

Irikah's body was let to the sea. It rains. It always rains on Khaje.

He left his son with his aunt and uncle. They would take care of him.

Vengeance is burning dark in Thane as he sets himself on the task of hunting those who killed her.


	9. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8: Moonrise Blues**

**The Brain Camp: Part Three**

The Gagarin Station was surrounded with seemingly tranquil space in which many starts shimmered, but inside there was no peace... and pronounced blue shining.

When Kaidan and his friends finally got somewhat used of their implants they thought that things would become easier, but they didn't. If anything the things have become harder.

The turian expert in biotics that was sent to the station as their teacher was unforgiving, hard and a cruel man.

"I was at Shanxi and I meet your parents. They cried begging on their knees as I shoot them," were the first words that Vrynus coldly spoke to them as he entered the room to introduce himself.

Few of the teenagers couldn't bite back tears, others stared daggers at him, all of those who lost one or both parent at First Contact War. Kaidan flared profound blue even if he luckily didn't loose anybody.

"If I would have any say in it, I wouldn't be here teaching you," Vrynus continued,: "I would beat each of you into a pulp and send you bottled into jars back to your families. Instead I will teach you how to not be so pathetic as you are, if you like it or not. I wont be easy on you no matter how pathetically squishy you all are. If you wont be able to handle that, then I suggest that you find the first door that leads out and space your sorry asses out. ARE. WE. CLEAR?"

When neither of the teenagers answered he smacked at the one closest to him, which accidentally was no-other than Kaidan.

"If I ask something I expect an answer," Vrynus said.

All teenagers, except Kaidan straightened up and in one voice answered: "Yes, sir."

Kaidan stared at him in outrage, his biotics flaring madly. He wished nothing more than obliterate this turian and it took practically everything in him that he didn't.

Vrynus noticed that and with one large stride completely took over Kaidan`s personal space: "What do we have here, huh. A little freak that wants to have a piece of me. Come, strike at me if you dare," he snarled.

Kaidan clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned completely white, shivers ran over him, he desperately chanted in his mind -_I wont let him provoke me... I wont let him provoke me... I wont... I wont...I wont..._- as he was trying to resist.

Vrynus smirked darkly: "I thought so. You are just another coward, just like all the humans are." He turned around and left the room, seeing as if he has nothing else to say.

Kaidan slowly managed to calm his nerves, the blue shine around him dissipated, but even so, he was unable to forgo a nasty feeling that this wont end good.

* * *

Kaidan seriously considered asking his father to pull him out of the Brain Camp - _as the kids started to call Gagarin Station to addition of Jump Zero_- ... but he couldn't. It would give Vrynus too much of satisfaction if he would do so and besides there was also a sensitive, tender and kind Rahna here and he wasn't able to bring himself of leaving her... even if every fibre of his being was telling him to pack and run as fast as he could.

The biotic trainings had become straight cruel. All of the sudden they were forced to use his biotics for practically everything. If they wanted a knife, they had to stay on their chair and use their biotics to open the drawer with a pull, taking the knife with a lift and drift it towards them, then use a throw to close the drawer again. It was a complicated operation because they had to carefully measure the force that they were using to not cause damage. If they used to much force they were punished, usually by few lashes from the turian teacher, and those always left purple, green and black marks on them at the best.

When Kaidan made a mistake of getting up from his chair and picking a circuit board with his hands due to a migraine that he had, Vrynus lashed at him with a furry. Kaidan ended in med-bay with two broken ribs and deep cut that run under his nose over his upper lip, caused by turian's razor-sharp talon.

Other teenagers didn't fare any batter than he did. Each day at least one of them would be hurt this or that way. If the Alliance personnel didn't condone with such hash treatment, they did not do anything to stop it either. The teenagers had to endure it in painful silence.

Furthermore, due to constant use of biotics the nose-bleeds and migraines became a daily practice. Further-more, controlling the biotics was a demanding thing. If it was done wrong, if only the tiniest surge went out of control, they did self-harm. Many kids got broken bones because of it and at times they felt like their insides would become their outsides.

On top of that Vrynus had a uttermost sadistic streak at least twice per day. He would come to one of them, order them to build up the energy that would move the heaviest object in the room and when they were ready to use that energy he stopped them, ordered them to reign it in. There was nothing more painful than that. The gathered biotic energy that could not be used should be gradually released in short, weak burst but he did not allow it. Kaidan hated it. Those were the moments when he felt as if every single bone in his body would crack, his eyeballs would explode, his heart would implode, his brains would fry, his..., but he did it... every time, and hated Vrynus for forcing it on him just as much as on others. It just wasn't right.

* * *

Rahna, with long dark eyelashes adorning her deep, almost black eyes, with full pink lips, with blushed cheeks, long black silky hair, a tender smile, gentle caressing voice... was haunting Kaidan`s dreams each night.

Everybody flocked around her, boys and girls, like she would be a water source in hot desert, a sun in solar-system, a pulsar in the otherwise empty space.

Kaidan believed her eyes are space-holes that were dragging him forward, towards and he couldn't do, didn't want to do, anything to resist it.

He often found himself sitting in some corner, simply gazing at her with wistfulness. If she would turn around and looked at him, even smile at him, his lips would quick up into a shy half-smile for a second, then he would with flaming cheeks turn his gaze into the floor, his hear racing.

If he would pass by her, she would thread her fingers through her hair and a smell of watermelon would came drifting towards him. He wasn't so fond of this particular fruit or it's smell before, but now that she was using a shampoo that smelled like it, he adored it.

If he would sat behind her in school-benches and she would tilt her head -just so-, her hair drifting to one of her shoulders, revealing a stretch of skin running from her ear to shoulder and his eyes would catch on it.

If she would deem to speak with him, his eyes would drift on her moisten lips and he would wonder how soft they are and how they taste, while his ears were caressed by her soft words, but the meaning of them lost in the air between them. When he had to answer her, he would blush deeply at the embarrassment of not hearing what she had to say.

Kaidan was in love for the very first time.

He wanted to tell her how he felt, he wished she would fall the same, he wanted... But every time he approached her a cat ate his tongue, and he didn't. He carried books for her instead. Saved her the best seats. Fixed her computer and omni-tool. If she broke something when she used her biotics and nobody seen her doing it, he would take a blame for her. She would thank him, offer him a tiny smile, perhaps briefly brushed his hand with her fingers and he would feel blissful.

Kaidan knew that he is not the only one who loved her. Everybody loved Rahna, one way or another. He would feel fangs of jealousy biting him when other boys would flock around her, touching her hand, shoulder and she would laugh at their jokes, sometimes even give them a hug.

He loved her and his migraines were intensified...

It took him some time for him to learn how to force himself to actually listen to her, and to be able to form at least half-coherent sentences without constantly blushing.

Kaidan discovered that she isn't as smart as he initially thought. She had no interest in techs, biotics, space... but he didn't cared. For him she was perfect as she was.

At first she seek him out when she needed help with something, later she searched for him when she desired his company, then when she felt distressed. She claimed that she feels safe when he is around and that she can trust him.

If Kaidan would have a migraine she would speak in whispers to him, sometimes even bring him a cup of cold water.

He saw her cry when she missed her parents or when Vrynus was mean to her and she would lay her head to his shoulder, his hand would sneak around her waist and he would try to lighten her mood.

Kaidan hoped that she would care for him as much as he cared for her... but still, he was unable to say anything of that to her. He wanted to kiss her, but he was too afraid to do it. What if she would push him away?

* * *

When Kaidan was 16 years old he lost control.

Rahna wanted a spoon, but instead of using her biotics she got up and picked it with her hand. Vrynus saw it and came to her, grabbing her by the hand so hard that he broke the bone.

Rahna screamed in pain and cried out in agony.

Kaidan couldn't take it. Any rational thought that he might posses, left him.

He jumped on his feet and before he could blink he was by her side, forcefully removed Vrynus hand from her and pushed her behind his back.

"Do not touch her again," Kaidan snarled at Vrynus, his biotics flaring bright blue, the room filled with metallic taste of ezoo coming in waves form him.

"Move aside, BOY," Vrynus barked at him, pushing him aside and smacking Rahna over her cheek.

Kaidan gathered a medium potion of his energy and threw Vrynus away from him towards the wall in a blink of an eye: "YOU. WILL. NOT. TOUCH. HER. AGAIN!"

Vrynus got up, seething in anger. Other grown-ups wanted to interfere but he stopped them. They obeyed, Vrynus over-ranked them.

Kaidan erected a biotic wall before him just in time to block a throw from Vrynus.

Vrynus clicked with his mandibles, laughing cruelly: "You are pathetic, BOY! " He sent his biotic energy crashing into Kaidan`s wall and dissipating it. He conjured up another blue ball, Kaidan realized that Vrynus intended to use a singularity and in an instant he knew that Rahna is standing to close to him. She would get hurt also, if not killed.

Kaidan`s anger intensified ten-folds as he sucked every ounce of biotic energy from his body and sent it crashing into Vrynus.

The turian smacked into metallic wall so hard that it made a dent, his exoskeleton cracking painfully.

Kaidan`s strength drained he fell on his knees and hands, his biotics flickering in and out, the blue around him shimmering on and off. He gasped for air, his head sagged towards the floor, his heart beating rapidly, his brains feeling on fire.

After a second he looked at Vrynus, He wasn't moving. His chest-plates weren't moving. His eyes were glazed with white fog.

Kaidan`s body shook. _-I didn't... no... I didn't... I couldn't... He will get up and kill me any time soon... I didn't...-_

Some other turian approached Vrynus, keeled beside him then after a brief examination gravely pronounced: "No life signs."

Kaidan felt lost, ashamed, cold... Everybody looked at him like he is a monster.

He slowly turned around towards Rahna, hoping that she would be his light in this dark moment.

Kaidan`s heart shattered into as many stars as there are planets in whole Universe as his eyes caught hers.

Rahna crawled as far away as she could, staring at him with eyes opened widely, fear openly seen in them.

His eyes burned as he was trying to hold tears back. He slowly got up on his feet, turned fully towards her who he loved, who he wanted to protect, for whom he even killed. He gently extended his hand and took a careful step towards her.

Rahna flinched, took quick two steps back.

Kaidan stopped, his eyes pleading.

Rahna`s trembling lips started to move, slowly as she uttered a silent: "Monster."

Kaidan`s head sagged, his hands hanging limp. Rahna feared him. He was a... monster.


	10. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9: Horizon Purples**

**The Villa: Part Three**

Shepard hardly took any short-leave, at least not a real one. She was jumping from one mission on another, and when she was without one, the Alliance made her pose for the Alliance recruitment posters or videos.

They put her in a brand new shiny armour. That she could easily live with. But then there was make-up. They accented her eyes with smoky black, made her lips cherry red and gave her a tiny hint of blush. Instead of having her hair put in a military correct tight bun, they let them out, her curls flowing freely around her face. They gave her a hand in the hand, strapped few to her back and hips and there she was, standing before some holo-image, smiling and aiming just as the photographer instructed.

Those were the shots for the posters. In videos she would give her interview, smiling and looking seductive -as they instructed her- while behind her would be running some videos from her missions -ones that weren't classified off-course-.

She was just done with one of those shots when Admiral Hackett approached her: "Staff Lieutenant Shepard."

She stood in attention, saluting: "Admiral."

"At ease, Shepard," the Admiral smiled and she relaxed.

"Congratulation for your new rank, Admiral," she offered.

Hackett was one of the meanest trainers on Arcturus Station back then, when she was a recruit. He made sure that her training was a nightmare, pushing her over her limits. Many would resent him for that, but she didn't. He trained her good and she was grateful for it.

"Thank you," Hackett smiled. "I enjoyed my time on AS, but I believe that I will do more good as an Admiral."

"I feel sorry for the new recruits. They will be missing out, sir" Shepard smirked. She was more relaxed around him than she would be around anybody else, even if he outranked her by a large margin.

"I'm sure they will," Hackett laughed. "How went the interview," he asked then, making Shepard flinch a little.

"As usually, sir," Shepard frowned. "I still don't understand why I need all this make up on me, nor why is so wrong with the military bun that they don't allow me to have it for these things. And besides, I believe that you would be far more fit to represent the Alliance than me, sir."

Hackett chuckled: " Yes, well... I doubt that my scarred face would bring in many recruits. It is more likely they would look at the poster and run away as far as possible. Sex-appeal seals better than anything else, Shepard and we need new recruits. We are spread too thin."

She sighted: "Yes, sir, I guess you are right."

"In any case, I just came over to see how you are doing since I was in vicinity and... we have a new mission for you," Hackett told her.

"A new mission?! My birthday came soon this year I see, sir," she laughed. Everything was better for her than playing a poster girl for the Alliance.

"We got some disturbing reports that need some exploring. You will be working under Commander Jimenez." Hackett told her. Admiral turned on his omni-tool and sent details to hers: "You are leaving in ETA 2 hours. I'm sure you will want to pack, so I will leave you to it."

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir," Shepard saluted.

"Good luck, Shepard," Hackett added and left her to get ready.

* * *

Sand-storms ruled the planet of Akuze, but that didn't turned away prospectors who build a compound there, primary for securing a mining opportunity. The compound sent out a distress message that caught the attention of the Alliance. What bothered them most was, that it was so badly damaged, that it didn't offered no explanation about what went wrong.

When the team explored the compound they found nothing, no life, no signs of struggle. When they entered the kitchen they noticed the food still cooking, even if it was all burned to charcoal by now. The ships in the hangar were left untouched even if they were in perfect running condition.

"I have a nagging feeling that the slavers descended and took people away," Commander Jimenez hazard a guess.

Shepard frowned: "Doubtfully, Commander."

Jimenez raised an eyebrow: "Lieutenant?"

"There is no signs of struggle to be seen her and I doubt that the people working here would go completely quietly, Commander," Shepard explained slowly.

Shepard meet Jimenez just few days ago and she wasn't all to fond of the Commander. Yes, Jimenez knew the theory of leading the team perfectly, organized them in the groups almost as if reading from the text-book. Actually, everything that Jimenez did and how he did it, was exactly as they were thought to do. Shepard worked under quite few different Commanders by now, and each of them earned much more respect from her than this one. It seemed almost as if Commander Jimenez was... inexperienced. Shepard frowned at the thought, that perhaps his position was bought and it worried her.

"Perhaps," Jimenez said: "...or perhaps not. They could release some sort of the gas that rendered them unconscious."

"It would be an option, but I never heard of slavers being so... civil," Shepard replied. "It just isn't their style."

"There is a first for everything," Jimenez said with annoyance.

"There's that," Shepard conceded, even if she was still quite certain that this was not work of the slavers.

They explored the compound until Commander Jimenez came across the beeping console. He opened the message and called Shepard: "Lieutenant, come here."

"Yes, Commander," Shepard promptly moved over.

"See this? As I said. It was slavers. One of the people stationed here managed to leave us a message," Jimenez said with a triumph.

"Hm, all right... and what does a message says, Commander," Shepard asked coldly.

"It says that the slavers came and took half of the people with them, the other half managed to escape. They are waiting for us on these coördinates," Jimenez explained and send coördinates to Shepard's omni-tool.

"That is a little to convenient, if you ask me... Slavers, if there really were any, would without a doubt notice this message and go after them, so leaving a message on the open like this would be... well... stupid," Shepard frowned. "It would be reasonable to predict that this is either a poorly composed trap or if not, that the so-called slavers found this message and went after them also."

"Well, Lieutenant, I'm not asking for your opinion," Jimenez said coldly. "Besides, there was another message added to this one, with a time stamp of only one hour ago and it confirms that people are still there waiting for a rescue. They say that a sand-storm hit them, but is now almost at the end. In any case, we are moving out."

Commander Jimenez railed them and gave an order to move to the location that was mentioned in the message... on foot. Shepard frowned at that and tried to object. They should make a small scout team and sent them to explore the area with MAKO, but Jimenez shoot her down, claiming that they are not so far away and that the risk is minimal. Shepard had to comply and follow the order.

When the team reached the site a hell broke loose.

There was no people to be found anywhere, just sands and... a transition station stuck into it, or at least that was what Commander Jimenez said it was, completely disregarding the fact that the device started to send strange vibrations straight into the ground. Shepard asked for cation, but Jimenez shoot her down once more, carelessly ordering the man to search the ground for any secret entrance that could perhaps lead them to possible underground complex where the people would be hiding, without bothering to contact the ship in the orbit and ordering to scan the grounds for anything like that.

Suddenly the ground shook and more than half of the team was unable to stay on their feet.

After that the things were happening so fast that Shepard had a hard time to recall how it all happened.

Two giant worms came out of the floor and started spitting green goo at them, swallowed half of the team alive.

Commander Jimenez just stood and watched, petrified. Shepard tried to pull him out of it, unsuccessfully, Jimenez just stood there until he got devoured by one of the Thresher Maws. Shepard then ordered a retreat.

The men fell under Shepard's command in an instant and turned to run after her, but they weren't fast enough.

They tried to shoot at the monsters but they hardly did any damage.

Those that got hit by the green goo screamed in pain as their armors melted away, then their skin, their flesh, their bones.

Shepard tried to contact the ship, order them to launch an air-ground attack, but it seemed that something was jamming the signal.

All she could do was run like hell, evade the acid, and hope that at least few would survive,... by the screams behind her, she doubted anybody would.

Her mind wanted to stop and shoot at the nasty beasts, to do something even if it would cost her life, but her body disagreed, her survival instinct kicking in, telling her that there is nothing that she can do anyhow, except run, run and run some more.

She could hear no other sounds any-more, just the winds and sand under her feet, but she kept running, not daring to stop and look over her shoulder.

The day came to it's end, when her exhausted body finally gave up, she stumbled and fell to the ground, gasping, her heart racing, her eyes slipping closed.

Everyone was dead... and now was her turn.

* * *

Shepard only vaguely noticed the sunrise, the moonrise and another sunrise. She tried to get on her feet few times, but her body didn't want to comply. She felt something burning her tight, but she couldn't lift her head to look at it. She just lied there, hearing the memory of screams, seeing her team being melted alive, eaten alive, over and over again.

Few days later she was found by Staff Commander Anderson and transported to Arcturus med-bay where they treated the wound that the tiniest splash of acid left on her leg. They told her it would leave a nasty scar, but she didn't cared.

A week passed and she was moved from the intensive care. She sat on her bed and gazed through the window, looking at stars, remembering every scream of the man that she -let- to die, back on Akuze. She hardly ate, hardly slept. The psychologist visited her every-day, trying to get her talk, but she remained silent.

Shepard felt that she shouldn't be alive. It was not right.

Admiral Hackett visited her few times, his expression after seeing her grim. He tried to break through the wall of silence she erected around herself, but failed. He tried with soft words, he tried with harsh ones, he even ordered her to being functional again, but she didn't even look at him.

Hackett hated the thought that she would be lost for the Alliance. He felt proud that she managed to become Staff Lieutenant and an N7 in short span of five years. He could easily see her do much more, if she achieved all that and was now only 23 years old. It would be such a waste, if she wouldn't come around.

* * *

The doctors kept Shepard separated from other patients for two months, hoping that the peace would give her what she needed to start functioning again. But that didn't happened and so they decided that perhaps some company would be better for her.

Dr. Chakwas informed Shepard that she won't have the room for herself any-more, but Shepard didn't show in any way that she acknowledged it. It was hard for Dr. Chakwas to see her like this, remembering her tiny form as a new-born, her struggle to live back there... and now seeing her being physically well, while her mind was... completely absent.

Dr. Chakwas considered who she would put to the room. Most of the patient were to chatty and that would possibly push Shepard even farther into her silence. Others were complaining too much over the pains that they had, and Dr. Chakwas doubted that it would do Shepard any good, considering what she went through. At the end she decided to put a young biotic into her room, and smiled at the irony that she was present when both of them were born. He didn't complain and he wasn't trying to make jokes all the time. He was more on the silent side himself. It was a good match actually. He was suffering because of migraines, his implant damaged on the mission, rattled, and the silence in Shepard's room would be more suitable for him than the room where all-the-time laughing James Vega was.

Yes, Dr. Chakwas liked the idea and went for it.

* * *

"Hello," Kaidan said as he entered the room, but got no reply from Shepard. He frowned. Perhaps she heard that he is a biotic and well... people found the freaks. He was just about to make a remark about that when the nurse that was accompanying him spoke.

"It is nothing personal, sir. The patient over there doesn't speak with anybody," the nurse said.

"Oh," Kaidan looked from the nurse to the patient. "Why?"

"A traumatic experience, sir. The details are classified, of course," the nurse replied.

"Oh, all right then," Kaidan replied. At least it wasn't what he thought, and besides, he didn't felt catty either.

The day passed in silence. Occasionally Kaidan hazard a look towards her, but her kept silent. He discovered that she sat perfectly still for hours, her face devoid of any expression. It was slightly unnerving.

When the dinner was served, she hardly ate anything, leaving most of the food completely untouched.

"You know... some would kill for that plate of your," Kaidan tried speaking with her. She didn't reacted at all. He shrugged.

The plates were taken away and he could do nothing to stop staring at her plate wistfully. As a biotic he needed more nutrients as others, and even as he got enough of food, he could easily ate everything that she left and he would still crave some more. The nurse noticed his look and commented with a smile: "I have no idea how you biotics are able to east so much and still look hungry. Do you want your portions to be raised? I'm sure I could arrange that, if needed."

"No, thank you," Kaidan replied with a half-smile. He wasn't really hungry, it was just his brains telling him that it is a waste of the food.

The nurse nodded and left.

In the middle of the night Kaidan got woken up by the sounds coming from the other patient. It sounded as if she would be sobbing. He opened his eyes and looked at her, noticed that she is trembling violently. He called the nurse, who simply woke her up. The patent opened her eyes in shook, gasping for air for few moments, then she calmed down, sat on her bed and got back to stare into the stars.

The next day went about the same as previous one. She just gazed out, hardly ate anything, he slipped a tiny comment of it towards her, but got no response.

Again he was woken by her sobbing and trembling. He considered calling a nurse, but decided against it. She would just wake her up. He crawled out of his bed, wincing slightly as a pain from his implant shoot through him, and pulled a chair towards her bed. He sat down, took her gently by the hand and spoke in whispers to her: "Shh... it's all right. You are safe. It's just a nightmare... Shh..." He doubted that it would help, and perhaps he would have to wake her anyhow, but it did. She stopped sobbing and shaking, her fingers coming tight around his hand. After a while he tried to remove his hand from hers, but she just squeezed tighter so he gave up. He observed her face basked in the light of the stars and concluded that she has a lovely profile. She reminded him of somebody, but he was unable to figure out on whom exactly. Eventually he drifted asleep in the chair.

He woke up stiff as hell, still sitting in a chair, his head laying on his hands that were on...someone's bed. He frowned, then remembered where he is and why, then lifted his torso up. A pair of aquamarine eyes stared at him, unflinching, Shepard's face devoid of expression.

Kaidan blushed vigorously: "I... I'm sorry ma'am... You were dreaming and I... um..."

She said nothing in replay. Shepard slowly turned her gaze away from him and returned to stare through the window as if nothing happened. Kaidan mentally cursed and went to his bed.

The day went on just the same as other ones... with a little exception. When the lunch came and they ate, she suddenly took her dessert and putted it on his plate, without words.

"Are you... sure," Kaidan asked surprised. She didn't replied, stood up and went back at gazing into the stars. "Thank you," Kaidan said anyhow, tiniest of smiles creeping on his lips as he noticed she ate a little more this time.

When the night came, he got woken up again and he repeated what he did night before. It helped her again, and he again found himself waking up with his hands and head on her bed, her eyes fixed on him intently, but her face devoid of emotions what-so-ever. He blushed again, but didn't bother to excuse himself. He just stood up and went back to his bed. She again gave him desserts that she didn't ate.

After the lunch he could no longer stand the silence and he started to speak about the stars that she was gazing at, telling her the names of them, what they are composed off and such. She gave no inclination that she is listening to him, so he gave up and stopped talking. She surprised him then with turning towards him with those eyes of hers, but she didn't said anything.

He blushed slightly and give it another try, continuing his explanation. As soon as he started to speak, she turned her gaze back through the window. He experimentally stopped speaking again, and in an instant her eyes were on him again. It seemed to him, that she wants him to speak, so he did. After he told her practically everything that he knew of stars, he moved on technical things and discovered that when he did so, she was actually no longer looking out, but at him.

The night went as it did before, and so did the morning. But there was an exception over the day. Kaidan`s migraine kicked it with uttermost force. He was practically unable to open his eyes. He called the nurse and asked for pills and she gave them to him. It didn't helped.

He forced himself to eat, but he could hardly swallow. He closed his eyes as much as in pain as in frustration. He vaguely heard soft footsteps and then suddenly completely froze.

Shepard moved behind his back while his eyes were closed and he felt her fingers gently thread through his hair. He gasped as tiny tingle shoot over his spine. She didn't stopped, started to gently massage his scalp in slow, rhythmic circles, then moving to the centre of his fore-head and slowly pulling her fingers back, gently across his skin towards his temples, drawing small circles. It was soothing and he slowly relaxed in her touch, his migraine subsiding.

He had no idea how long it was going on, but he would bet that for more than an hour. When she decided to pull her fingers away from him, the migraine was only a memory for him.

"Thank you... that was... amazing," he breathed at her gratefully. She didn't replied with words, but she did offer him a slight nod with her head. He half-smiled at her and the corner of her lips quirk up in response for a moment, then she returned to sit on her bed. He chose another topic to speak about, this time the old Earth literature, and she listened.

Days passed. At night he would calm her down, in morning he would wake with his head on her bed, she would give him her desserts, masterfully offered her skilfully fingers when he would get a migraine and he would speak of things. She didn't speak, but she would occasionally smiled for one moment. Kaidan thought that it was kinda...nice.

After a month it all came to the end. The doctor informed Kaidan that he is ready to return to duty. He was glad, because he didn't liked spending time in the hospital, but at same time, he wanted to stay a little longer, perhaps she would start to speak if he would... he wished to hear her. The duty called him however, and he was already briefed on his next assignment.

He said his goodbye to her and was just about to close the doors after him when he heard a crocked, whispered: "Thank you... Goodbye," from her.

He stopped startled and turned around. She had her hands around her throat, holding it gingerly. It probably hurt her to speak after months of silence. He smiled at her: "Thank you also. Take care of yourself," he uttered.

She returned a smile and gave him a slight nod: "I will. You too," then turned her face to look at the stars again.

Kaidan left and only when he was already aboard the ship he remembered that he didn't asked her for a name. He mentally cursed himself. He could try calling the hospital and asking them, but he knew that they wouldn't tell him. Perhaps it was better this way anyhow.

A month later, Shepard was released from the hospital. She managed to regain her sanity and they released her back on duty.

Admiral Hackett visited her before she left, informing her that the Alliance

decided she is ready to be risen in rank. Shepard tried to object, claiming she doesn't deserve it, but that didn't stopped them. She returned to duty as Lieutenant Commander.

* * *

In 2178 the Alliance decided to retaliate for the Skyllian Blitz and sent a fleet towards Torfan.

Shepard felt grim satisfaction when she was contacted by Staff Commander Anderson, who slipped the information to her, even if he really shouldn't. Shepard promptly contacted Admiral Hackett and almost begged that she would be allowed to take part.

Hackett took his own sweet time, deciding if he should send her or not. He remembered that Shepard held a grunge towards the batarians and got a nasty gleam to her eyes when-ever someone mentioned them to her. He knew that she was on Mindoir when they attacked it, and not only survived but also defended her grandparents and herself by killing some of them, regardless of her young age. He couldn't blame her for wanting to put few bullets into them, he was eager to do so himself, just as more or less any other human.

While he planned the attack with other Admirals, he brought to the table the case of Lieutenant Commander Shepard. They all agreed that letting her loose on the batarians would be like showing a red flag to a bull. She would fight them with all that she was and see them defeated even if it would kill her in the process. Heck, Hackett was convinced that even then she would probably get up and just kept fighting.

The Admirals agreed that the time for subtlety has passed. The crime against the humanity that the batarians did when attacking Mindoir was to big for them to feel soft about it and the batarians didn't even tried to apologise for the incident, claiming that the humanity had no right to be in that solar-system anyhow.

When the humanity gained permission from the Citadel Council to expand in that particular solar-system, the batarians vehemently objected, claiming that they wanted to expand there. The Council dismissed them, remanding them that their claim was sent to late and that they already gave the humans the rights to settle. The batarians were outraged. They left the Citadel, closed their Embassy and severed all connections with the Council Space, claiming that humans and the Council will pay for this bureaucratic crime.

The Council did nothing when the human ambassador approached them after the batarians raided the colony on Mindoir, claiming that it is not their problem. Of course they didn't used those precise words, but rather masked them in butter and honey. When the human ambassador informed them that the humans will retaliate to batarians, the Council had no objections either. They neither approved nor disapproved, simply not wanting to have anything with it. The humanity didn't mind this time. They were more than capable of doing it by themselves, and they did.

As such, the Admirals decided that they don't need war prisoners. It would be easier if there would be none. Of course, if the batarians would surrender, they would... well, they just hopped that there would be no living batarians left. Less bureaucracy that way, less expenses and such.

The decision was made. They went through the files and choose people who held a grunge against the batarians. If those people would accept the yield from them, then so be it, but at least they managed to skilfully reduce the possibility of that happening. If their consciousness was telling them, that they are going wrong about this, they didn't show it. They weren't Admirals for no reason, they were Admirals because they knew how to make hard decisions and how to live with them.

Lieutenant Commander Shepard was sent with a fleet. They gave her command over the team of skilled soldiers and let her loose. They had no idea that she will make their wishes come truth one-hundred percent.

* * *

Shepard took her team to the ground and then the carnage begun. She led them firmly, shouting short orders at them. They followed without objection.

At first Shepard had herself under control. They killed those that opposed them, secured those that surrendered -it was not many-, moved from one building to another.

But then they stumbled upon the building filled with slaves. There where humans there, the asaris, the turians, the salarians, and a bunch of races that they never even seen before. Their clothes were poor, their fame shabby, their bodies bruised. Some were hardly even alive. Shepard felt uttermost outrage fill her and she wished that every batarian would die screaming in pain, but somehow she reigned it in. But somehow she managed to rein it in, she was trained to disconnect that part of herself and remain professional soldier instead of bloodthirsty rouge.

That was until they found a wast cellar where the kids were held. Kids with void expression, their little bodies showing abuse.

It was then when Shepard... lost it... and so did her team. They followed her orders without restraint, without complaint, eagerly...

They viciously killed every single batarian that they could find. The only difference between those that kept fighting and those that surrendered was, that the latter was killed with one single shot in the head, while the first group was shoot in a way that would let them die slowly and painfully.

When there was no batarian left unchecked on the surface, they moved back to those that surrender before, before Shepard and her team stumbled upon those kids, and they killed them also.

The Admirals got their wish. There was no living batarians left.

* * *

The humans whose families were killed or taken at Mindoir dabbed Shepard as The Holly Sword of Vengeance, the batarians simply dubbed her as a Butcher of Torfan, and so did the majority of the Galaxy.

The Alliance congratulated her behind the closed doors and awarded her with a medal in secret.

In public they claimed they disagree with how the situation was handled. They let the public see the holo-images of slaves, adults and kids, that Shepard's team has found on Torfan. Explained that nobody, no matter how much training or experience would have, would be able to see that and not let it affect them. They explained that the soldiers who were engaged on Torfan would be given long shore-leave where they would be given psychological treatment that would help them get back on their feet. As such, even if the Alliance command didn't admit that the soldiers did exactly as they hoped they will, they didn't allowed the galaxy in general to slander their solders either.

After six months, Shepard was back on duty.


	11. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10: The Black Hole**

**The Compact: Epilogue**

Thane Krios was disconnected or better said, he was connected. The dark side of Thane's got a free rein and was completely unleashed, unrestrained, flowing like a wild river.

When he was killing as an assassin for Illuminated Primacy or when he free-lance, his body was the tool that did as his employers said. Thane's mind was absent from it and thus the deaths were not his fault. But when he killed now, his mind was ordering who and how his mark would die.

If before he was offering a clean and quick death, minimizing targets suffering, he now choose to kill slowly and as painfully as possible, revelling in each scream, each pined gasp that the mark produced.

He wanted them to suffer, each one of them. And when he ended their lives, he wished he could raise them up again and repeat it all over it again.

There was a little tiny voice somewhere deep inside him who tried with a weak sound to make him see that what he is doing is wrong. Thane viciously grabbed that voice, repeatedly slammed it in the metal wall until it died out and left him only with burning screams of vengeance.

* * *

He was tracking one of the ringleaders who killed his wife on Omega. He had him in sight and he attacked. He let the death linger.

He passed the news-monitor and heard of Skyllian Blitz. He was appalled by the darkness that lingers all around, disregarding the darkness in him in the process.

He heard of Shepard and the name promptly rang a bell. He would never guess that a woman who bought him a drink -without saying a word to him- could defend the colony from such attack.

He uttered a quick prayer to his gods, thanking them for keeping her aim true, then he boarded the ship that would take him towards his next target.

* * *

He tracked her down, a ringleader masquerading as employee of one of the companies on Noveria. She was alone in her office, suspecting nothing. He disabled the alarms, nobody would come to her defence. Silently he jumped from the ventilation duct, landing gracefully behind her back. His fingers touched the pressure points rendering her incapable to move or speak. He killed her slowly before leaving her broken body lying in a pool of blood.

On the news he heard of the massacre on the Torfan, the Alliance retaliation for Skyllian Blitz, lead by same woman who defended the Elysium.

His already frozen heart cracked a little as he heard of the butchering done. He wondered what happened to the kind girl who helped him buy a present for his son, for her to forego all the kindness and kill without mercy. The videos of the slaves that she rescued give him an answer, but even if he can easily see a justification for her actions in them, he still wishes she wouldn't...

The Galaxy is a dark place, a reflection of it in him and now in her also. He uttered a prayer to his gods for her soul and pleaded them to guide her towards lighter path.

The Galaxy is in need of light, searing and scorching, to burn away the

malice, to cleanse it... to perhaps save him... just not quite yet.

Thane doesn't take any time for rest. He already knows where his next mark is and he doesn't waste any time. It is time to go on a hunt once more.

* * *

In year of 2182 Thane founds himself at from-gods-forsaken colony of batarians.

He hunted down the last of the ringleaders behind the vicious murder of his wife, the most vicious and cruel one. The batarian who he was hunting has grown reckless and he was able to get his hands on him without much effort.

The screams echoed in a moonless night as he slowly leaked the life out of him. Nobody heard it.

It was done...

* * *

He watched his son from afar. Kolyat laughed and played with his cousins, happy and carefree. His aunt and uncle were taking good care of him.

He thought of returning and finally taking care for his son on his own, but... the boy has grown so much and it seemed that Kolyat is better of without him turning his world upside-down... again...

He looked for Irikah's sister when Kolyat was in school, thanking her for care and love she was giving to his son. She tried to convince him to stay with them, but failed, and finally give in, partly understanding his reasons albeit angered by him all the same.

He left Khaje the next day and travelled to Ilium.

He didn't knew what he will do now... His wife was avenged and he had no goal...

Thane had nothing left.

* * *

**The Brain Camp: Epilogue**

The Alliance stopped the BBaT project and hushed the reasons for it. They didn't wanted the public to know that a turian was abusing the kids and the turians readily hushed it up also. The relationships between the two races were too delicate as it was and neither wanted another war.

The Alliance didn't blame Kaidan Alenko for reacting as he did. They already had multiple complaints from other students and even from some teachers, of turian and human race alike and accusing Kaidan of the murder would bring the spotlight on them in a way that they couldn't afford and thus, Kaidan was simply given back to his parents with a promises that he or them wouldn't press charges and they wouldn't press it against him.

The turians at first demanded that the kid is given to them where he would be persecuted and punished by the turians laws, but the Alliance was in no way ready to comply with the demand. They simply informed the turians that if they would publicly demand it, the Alliance would simply leak the information's about the mistreatment that the turian teacher was guilty off.

The turians weren't intimidated and they claimed that the Alliance has no proof of it, that was until they presented them with all the reports. The turians were in general not soft people and their teaching was generally considered to be harsh, but even by their standards the killed teacher went too far and thus they relented and classified the death as -an accident on -workplace, avoiding the diplomatic consequences and possible war that would come from it.

* * *

Kaidan felt devastated, his soul hurting because he killed, his heart hurting because the girl that he loved seen him as a monster even if he just tried to protect her, feared him and didn't wanted to have any contact with him any-more.

He didn't blamed her however. He was convinced that he is a monster. He cursed his biotics every day. All he wanted to do, was to be normal... but he wasn't...

Kaidan hardly ate, hardly slept, hardly moved... he hardly even breathed. His parents were concerned. They knew what happened at Jump Zero, but they didn't blamed him. They tried to bring him out of his state, unsuccessfully...

The Alliance didn't just leave him to rot. They offered him the best psychological counselling that they could. Kaidan was slowly becoming better, just enough for him to start functioning a bit again.

His apathy was slowly turned into anger. Anger at himself. Anger at the Alliance. Anger at the world. Anger at the galaxy. He was so angry that he was certain that he could easily combust and explode so vigorously that his biotics would reap every single living being not just in the galaxy, but in whole space. But he didn't combusted. He held his biotics so tightly that it seemed almost like he has no such ability.

Of course he occasionally discharged the energy that was gathering, but always in private, never where anybody could see it.

The anger that he felt lead him to do things that were totally un-Kaidan-ish. He stayed out till late morning. Joined a local band of buliess and got in all sorts of fights. He never used his biotics, just his fists, his legs and even teeth if it seemed necessary. But he carefully choose whom he fought with, beating to pulp, even in his darkest moments. He never allowed his so-called friends to beat the innocents that would be at wrong time at the wrong place, but they always went for those who would in one way or in another mistreat those who were unable to defend themselves.

It happened often that he returned home escorted by the police. The local law enforcement was eager to press charges, but the Alliance kept close tags on Kaidan and they always got him out of it.

Eventually Kaidan`s father had enough of it and he firmly confronted him. He didn't threatened him, but he explained to his son that his actions lead only towards prison. Kaidan`s mother cried and begged Kaidan to stop with such behaviour. It seemed at first that it was in vain, but slowly Kaidan stopped with his actions. With time he even enlisted back into school and finished his education in techs in record time. The Alliance arranged that Kaidan was not required to take classes as any other "normal" kid would, but rather do his schooling in privacy of his room, going to Academy only for exams.

As soon as he had a degree in his hand he got an employment offer. Kaidan`s parents were overwhelmed by happiness, but Kaidan just became grim when the Alliance representative presented him with an offer.

Kaidan refused... and disappointed his father.

* * *

Kaidan found a low paying job. He liked fixing broken things and he even improved few mods and designs. Kaidan claimed that he is satisfied with his work each time that his father confronted him about it.

Mr. Alenko didn't believed it one bit, regardless of it. Kaidan was his son after all and an apple does never fall so far from the tree that it thinks. He has seen how Kaidan`s eyes always observed the space-ships in the port. He could see Kaidan`s eyes grow big when they were looking at the news. When the news of Shepard defending people on the Elysium in 2176 hit them, Kaidan openly expressed admiration for the heroes who risk their life to save the innocents.

"You could be a hero also, Kaidan," his father told him.

"Me? Hardly," Kaidan laughed grimly.

"Why not," his father grimaced. " You are skilled technician, you have biotics that would help you,..."

Kaidan cut him off: "Do I really need to remind you what happened the last time that I used the biotic when I was trying to defend somebody?! No father, I can't be a hero... no matter how much you wish it..."

"Don't give me that bollocks, son! You can do anything that you want, IF you want it and it is quite obvious that you want it very much. You just need to reach and take it," his father said rather forcefully.

"I will never again use my biotics. Do you hear me? NEVER," Kaidan said firmly.

"If you are so much against it, then fine, don't use it. Let your skills go wasted. Who cares if you could use them to save lives. Who cares that people will die simply because you are so damned afraid like some gentle flower," his father said. He knew that he was pushing it, but he also knew that if he wont then Kaidan would simply continue wasting his skills in some dark and dusty workshop.

"Gentle flower? What the hell, dad! If I would be some gentle flower then I wouldn't be able to produced such powerful biotic kick that it killed a damned turian! I am definitely NO gentle flower," Kaidan flared.

"Well now, lightning shoot me down, if you don't sound at least a bit proud that you were even able to do it," his father smirked.

"I...um...," Kaidan didn't knew what to say to that.

He felt guilt for what he did even now. He should be able to control his biotics. He shouldn't loose it as he did. Yes, Vrynus was mean and cruel and abusive, but that didn't justified killing him. But to say that he wasn't proud that he was able to produced such power at such young age even if he was just L2 which generally weren't able to peak up so high... it would be a lie. Kaidan never lied.

"As I thought... Listen son, all I want you to do is consider your options and not letting some dumb turian with rotten brain hunt you even from his grave," his father said more gently.

"I can't dad... I just can't," Kaidan lowered his head. He was startled when his father laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You can, son. You just need to let it go," he spoke softly to him. "And if you really can't let it go, if the guilt has nestled so deep in you, then go out there and save at least one life in recompense."

Kaidan looked at him. Perhaps that would work. Perhaps he would be able to do so. Perhaps...

His father didn't wait for his sons answers, reading him like and opened book: "You will never know if you don't try it, will you."

"But the Alliance gave me an offer only because I'm a biotic...," Kaidan tried to object, but it sounded moot even to him as soon as he said it.

"Listen Kaidan, the Alliance needs technicians also. You don't need to relay only on your biotics. Actually I would recommend you that you use every skill that you have if you decide to give it a try," his father smiled. He already knew that he won.

"And if I would later discover that the Alliance is not for me and wanted to... well...," Kaidan raised an eyebrow.

"You could come back home in an instant and I would be proud that you tried," his father said sincerely.

"Then... I guess... I will give it a go," Kaidan nodded.

* * *

After a quick basic training Kaidan was sent on his first mission. He didn't used his biotics at all, not feeling comfortable trying. He was afraid that if he would, he wouldn't be able to keep them in cheek and the disaster would occur.

That was before he found himself in a situation where he was forced to use them to save a seven years old turian child from a vorcha. The throw that he used was so strong that the vorcha, who had every intention to feast on a child, died as soon as it hit him. Kaidan managed to stay on his feet long enough to see that the child was safe and no other innocents were damaged by his biotics, then he collapse on the floor.

He woke up in a med-bay on Arctus Station. His implant got rattled and he had to undergo a treatment. The doctors explained that it happened only because Kaidan didn't used his biotics for long time. They assured him that he would be back on his feet in no time. They also told him, that when he returns on the duty he should take it slow, start using his biotics for smaller actions at first so that his body and implant adjust to the usage.

* * *

Kaidan was completely devoted to the Alliance in next few years. He still felt guilt for killing the turian teacher, he still had his biotics on tight leash, but he wasn't so adverted of using them any-more. After all, his biotics did save a kid and were not as an evil thing that he thought they were... as long as he had the control over them.

Due to his exemplar career he was quite rapidly rising in the ranks and was eventually invited to attend the N-School. It was an opportunity that he wasn't able to resist and eventually earned a rank of N6.

Kaidan didn't regretted that his father masterfully convinced him to enlist into the Alliance. He chuckled at himself when a thought that all he needed now was finding a damsel in distress and his life would be like one of the stories that he liked to read. It was a silly idea, he knew, but it sounded nice regardless... He shook his head when the thought occurred him, that perhaps he already found such damsel and perhaps he helped her a little... then, some years back.

Kaidan pushed those thought into his mind's drawer as quickly as they came to him. This was not a time for indulging in little-boy`s fantasises.

Captain Anderson was waiting for him and he was running late.

* * *

**The Villa: Epilogue**

Shepard felt... What did she felt? She wasn't exactly sure. She felt... anger. Anger was directed at what the slavers did. Yes, the anger was justified. She could live with justified anger... as long as she could point it at somebody... hell... even something would do the trick.

The targets on the practice-range felt Angel-Sun's anger, or at least they would felt it if they would have a nervous system...

Then Shepard felt... guilt mixed with anger. Guilt for what she did to those slavers. Yes, they deserved it, ten times over and still wasn't enough, never enough, not for what they did.

The targets on the practice-range felt Angel-Sun's anger again... but the guilt lessened it's intensity...

And then the anger vanished. Shepard was left only with guilt. Guilt that she didn't spared those that surrendered. She didn't liked it... She could manage anger, even manage anger mixed with guilt, but with guilt alone... she didn't know how to handle it... or perhaps she did...

The targets on the practice-range felt Angel-Sun's guilt... and they were rattled just as her soul was...

Then slowly acceptance came. Shepard accepted the fact that she is not flawless and that she can lose control. She made no excuses for it, she knew she should not allow it to happened in first place, but it did and she accepted that she is unable to turn the time back and do differently.

The targets on the practice-range felt Angel-Sun's acceptance... and at least they were still recognizable as targets when she was done with them.

At the end, there was determination. Shepard determined that she will do better. She would strive to do what is right and human even if the beast inside of her would demand otherwise. She was determined that she would do better, because she can.

The targets on the practice-range felt Angel-Sun's determination. There was only one bullet-hole on them, exactly in the middle of their foreheads... or what would be foreheads if the wouldn't be just targets.

And just like that the physical report said that she is ready to return to duty and she felt relieved. No more standing around, felling useless. No more... ice-cream? Darn, she would miss ice-cream.

The targets on the practice-range felt Angel-Sun's missing ice-cream! Oh yes, they did! They felt her missing other culinary delights also! But then she left the targets alone, all forgotten.

Angel Sun Shepard found the targets made of flesh and bone to shoot at, by the order of the Alliance command. These new targets weren't much smarter than the ones that she shoot while on the practice-range even if they actually had brains...

* * *

With time the press didn't felt the need to constantly speak of Torfan, actually they rarely even mentioned it. Torfan weren't the main conversational topic between people any-more either, well at least among non-batarians. It was mentioned just at some rare occasions. It was all old news, chewed over so many times that there was no taste to it any-more. Other more recent and freshly delicious news occupied the press and consequently the minds of people in the galaxy.

Lieutenant Commander Shepard successfully completed few missions. There were no excessive deaths, few conflicts were even resolved without firing a single bullet. Shepard couldn't quite decide if her diplomatic persuasion skills became better or were the culprits just to scared that she would pull " a dose of Torfan" over them. She figured that it is probably a combination of both.

The Alliance was pleased with her. They decided that it is time that they give her a promotion, officially. They couldn't say that she earned her promotion with her actions on Torfan, even if that was exactly why they were promoting her. For general public her promotion to Staff Commander was justified with her success on missions that she lead afterwards. There were no questions asked. Of course the Alliance also reinstated the newly dubbed Staff Commander as a poster-girl and she was so used of it by this time.

Commander Shepard found herself on the Citadel, enjoying a very short shore-leave. In ETA 10 hours she would assume her new station. They kept her in the dark regarding details. All she knew was, that she would be assigned to some new Alliance's ship.

* * *

**Author's notes:**

_And as such we have arrived to the end of Shimmering Stars. Shepard, Alenko and Krios shall be continuing their adventures in the __sequel__ that is named __**Creeping Black**__ and things will become more interesting and dire if I'm allowed to say..._

_I hope you liked this first story from The Ocean of Time compilation and that you will visit me in the sequel also._

_This story has been uploaded in one day because it was already finished and waited on my computer as such I have seen no need to do it in multiple segments and choose to rather offer it to you in one go. _

_Even so, I will appreciate any comment that you might leave me and send you my personal thanks as soon as I see it._

In any case, my sincere thanks to all who decided to read Shimmering Stars and I hope to see you in Creeping Black.


End file.
